Strawberry Kisses
by Ryee
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Rikku gets a surprise when her father announces that a young man named Gippal will be living with them for the summer. The story of Rikku and Gippal's past together. [COMPLETE]
1. Cute Intruder

A/N: With almost 6 months of absolutely no activity, I'm back! I thought of doing a Full Metal Panic fanfic at first, but I didn't have time to re-watch all the episodes again. Since I've played FFX-2 four times already, and I had this chapter written since last month, I said hey...I'll release another one. )

A few notes about this story: It takes place roughly one year before the beginning of Final Fantasy X, and both Rikku and Gippal are 15-years-old. Home is still in one piece of course, and the feeling of this story is much more lighthearted than my other two fics. Since this features the young version of Rikku and Gippal and how they met each other, it just had to be lighter in mood.

Oh, and this story will be much shorter than the other stories I've done, but I hope you all enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: All characters/places mentioned in FINAL FANTASY X, FINAL FANTASY X-2, and the FINAL FANTASY name belong to Square Enix. I'm just borrowing them all for a bit of fun. )

**Strawberry Kisses**

By Ryee

Chapter 1: Cute Intruder

"Nice job here, Rikku. It seems like you're ready to go down there on your own!" Cid exclaimed proudly, eyeing the work that his fifteen-year-old daughter managed to complete.

Rikku beamed, standing up to look down at the machina. "Thanks, Pops!"

She had just finished assembling the machina parts one by one, attached the engine, and it was now running smoothly. Only took twenty minutes this time. Not bad at all.

"Now that your job is done for the day, you're free until tomorrow," her father began, bending down to switch off the machine. It was going to be used for tomorrow's underwater dive, and it was a first for Rikku as well.

"Sure thing! I'll see ya later tonight!" Rikku replied, glad that she had the rest of the day to herself. She stood up, dusting herself off.

"Oh, Rikku. One more thing..." Cid spoke up again, following after her.

"Yeah, Pops?"

"Before you go off, I need you to stop by the house with me real quick."

Rikku paused, seeing her father scratch the back of his head. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

Cid began heading in the direction of their house. "Just something I need you to do," he replied. She began following after him, gathering up the remaining tools and carrying them in the bag.

Cid was already a good distance ahead of her, but she could easily see the high roof of their home. Above them, the sky was a brilliant blue, the sun hot, the air humid. The weather there in the desert was always that way, and she planned to spend a vacation someplace cool for once.

They had finally arrived, and Rikku waited for her father to unlock the door. He stepped in, dropping his own bag in the chair near them.

"Alright, Rikku. I need you to wait here for a bit. I'll be back soon," Cid instructed her, already heading out the door again.

"W-Whoa, wait, Pops! What's goin' on?" she asked in confusion, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

"Just wait! I'm comin' back!" Cid exclaimed. "In the meantime, why doncha clean up or something?"

Rikku stood at the door, still holding the tool bag in one hand. Finally closing the front door, she took off her gloves and threw them on the table, moving quickly towards the bathroom.

_A shower. I've worked all day, so it's the least I deserve!_

Rikku reached down, kicking off her boots and pausing to grab a towel from the nearby closet. She knew she had a good twenty minutes before Cid would be coming back. He always said "in a bit," but those usually meant that he'd be gone at least 15-20 minutes.

Stepping into the shower, she couldn't help but sigh at how nice the water felt against her hot skin. She had oil and dirt all over, and it was a relief to wash all of the day's work away. Working the shampoo out of her hair, she rinsed off for another five minutes before finally switching off the water.

Rikku felt refreshed, wrapping the towel around herself and running a brush quickly through her hair.

She paused, hearing a door close outside. A frown crossed her features, wondering why Cid seemed to be early that day. For a few seconds Rikku debated with herself whether to be afraid because of a possible burglar or to just stay inside the bathroom until her dad banged on the door to get her out. If it really were a burglar, he would probably find her eventually. If it really was her dad, then he'd knock to see if she was alright...right?

Rikku held the towel tighter around herself and tucked her hair behind her ear. She took a deep breath, cursing herself for being so paranoid. But a tiny voice inside her was still frightened. She took a deep breath. Turning the doorknob, she flung the door open quickly and opened her eyes.

She felt her mouth drop at the young man who stood before her. He had a hand raised in a position as if he was about to knock on the door. An eye patch covered one eye, and his blond hair was spiked attractively. His only good eye moved down her body slowly, and for the first time Rikku snapped out of her shock, remembering that she was only wearing the towel.

Cid jumped out of his seat, alarmed at the scream. He quickly ran towards the hallway bathroom and gaped at the sight. A short towel covered his daughter, and she was screaming at the young man who was standing in front of her.

"Dad, who the heck is he?!!!" Rikku exclaimed from the other side of the closed bathroom door. She had rushed back into the bathroom in a flurry, leaving the blond young man standing speechless outside.

Cid scratched his head in embarrassment and replied through the door. "Uh...well you see, Rikku. He's the one I needed to introduce ya to. Sorry 'bout all this," Cid added to the boy. "Rikku, we'll be waiting for you in the kitchen, all right?"

Rikku leaned against the door heavily, her face a charming shade of pink. She could hear Cid chuckling as his footsteps faded away.

_Argh, if only he said something!_

She knew she was blushing hard, and it was all because of her stupid dad!

She stopped herself from thinking anything more and pulled on her shorts and tank top. Cursing herself for sounding like a fool earlier, she toweled her hair dry and put it up. She looked at herself in the mirror one last time before stepping out into the hall hesitantly.

Before entering the kitchen, she took a moment to make sure she looked presentable. Nothing like making a fool out of herself in front of that boy, so it didn't matter anyway, right?

_Who is he, anyway?_

"Ah, Rikku. You're finally out," Cid spoke up, standing from his chair and making his way over to her.

She said nothing, nodding at her father. From the corner of her eye, she could see the boy from earlier stand up as well. Still not making eye contact with him, Rikku focused her attention instead on what Cid wanted to say. She felt embarrassed looking the boy in the face.

Cid smiled apologetically to his daughter and cleared his throat, grabbing the young man by the arm and pulling him in front of Rikku.

"Uh, Rikku. This's Gippal. He's about your age, and you'll be going with him for tomorrow's dive," Cid explained, checking his watch.

Rikku looked from her father to the young man with her mouth opened in shock. He smiled sideways at her and held out a gloved hand.

"Pleasure to meet ya," he said smoothly.

She looked down at his hand and shook it hesitantly. "Nice to meet you, too..." she smiled softly.

"All right then, Rikku. I gotta get goin'. You have the day off today, so why doncha show Gippal around the base. He'll be staying with us for a while, so get to know him," Cid spoke up. He picked up his gloves and began heading out towards the front door.

Rikku stared after her father in alarm. "W-wait, Pops!" she exclaimed after him, seeing the door shut.

_Oooh! I'm so mad at him! And what am I going to do about this "Gippal?!!"_

She paused in her step, sighing in defeat.

"Rikku...right?" a deep voice spoke up.

"Yeah..." she answered hesitantly, still embarrassed at how he had seen her during their first encounter.

"I uh...sorry about earlier. I really didn't know you were gonna open the door!" Gippal chuckled, reaching up to smooth his hair.

Rikku studied him. It was difficult to read his expression clearly. "It's um...it's okay." She paused, seeing that he was moving closer to her. "Is it true that you're going to be staying here for a while?"

He stopped in front of her, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, for now. Your dad offered since he said I'd be great for the team here."

"Oh, so that's why..." Rikku trailed off. She realized that this Gippal must have some serious talent if Cid even went so far as to let him live with them.

_I wonder just who he is...?_

"So...where are you taking me, Cid's Girl?"

Rikku's eyes flew to him, her mouth open. "Wh-What did you just call me?!"

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading them towards the door. "Your dad said to show me around...so...let's go!"

She couldn't react quick enough, since he had already taken them both out the door.

**End of Chapter 1**

A/N: Hope everyone liked it so far! I'll try to write the next chapter soon, and I promise that it'll be longer! )


	2. Summer Afternoon

A/N: Thanks so much for your lovely reviews, everyone! I'm glad that people liked the first chapter, so here's the second one. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Summer Afternoon

"So how old were you again?" Gippal asked after a while.

They had been walking out of the residential area and towards the desert. It was still scorching outside, but a light breeze offered just a bit of coolness.

Rikku turned to look at him. "Fifteen," she replied.

They were a good distance away from each other as they continued to walk on.

"Well, so am I," he laughed. "Guess that makes us okay, huh?"

She stopped walking, raising an eyebrow at him. "Okay for what?"

He turned around and waved a hand in the air, dismissing his own words. "Nothing, nothing," Gippal laughed.

"Ok..."

"So really though...where are we going?" he asked again after they had reached the outside of Home. There was nothing but the vast expanse of golden sands for miles out.

She thought for a moment, remembering that there was nothing much in the desert except...

"Oh, I know. How about I show you the oasis? There's a little area here that has a place to cool down. The water's nice and—"

"Will you be comin' in with me?" Gippal suddenly interrupted, taking a step towards her, a smile sliding on his face.

Rikku felt her heart speed up, and she tried to open her mouth again. "W-What...?! No way! We just met and...!"

"Hm, so that means that you do plan on joining me right...?" Gippal began again, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading them forward. "...once we get to know more about each other?" he added with a wink.

She brushed him off of her and noted how warm her face was. Turning away, she began walking back in the direction of Home, leaving Gippal behind.

He rushed after her, kicking up sand. "H-Hey...wait a sec Cid's Girl...you mad at me?"

Rikku spun around, jabbing a finger into his chest. "I have a name, you know!" she exclaimed, and continued towards the base.

Gippal grabbed a hold of her hand and began pulling, making her drag along the sand. "Now, now. Let's not forget what your dad said, remember? He told you to show me around! So...show me!" he laughed, continuing to pull her along.

She looked down at their joined hands in shock, in disbelief that this was a person whom she just met earlier that day.

_Pops owes me big time for this!_

"Argh! Alright, already!" Rikku sighed in defeat. She grabbed her hand away from his and headed back into the desert. "Let's get this over with."

Gippal smiled, jogging after her. "See, I knew you couldn't resist!"

Turning around, she stuck her tongue out at him.

They had been traveling for about ten minutes, neither saying anything to each other. Rikku would occasionally glance in his direction, wondering why he suddenly seemed so quiet.

_I wonder what's wrong with him...?_

"Hey, you ok?" she decided to voice her thoughts.

He turned to her. She noted how his eye seemed to be half-shut, and he seemed to wobble a bit on his feet.

"Yeah...I'm..." he began softly, taking a few shaky steps to where she was standing.

Rikku watched, stunned, as he suddenly fell on top of her and they both crashed to the sand. Her mind raced. Panicking, she tried to slip out from underneath his heavy body, noting with more alarm that his body was pressing down against her chest.

"Gippal…?! Gippal!! Hey, wake up!!!" she exclaimed, frantically trying to move his arms so she could slip away. Groaning, she finally rolled from under him and scrambled up, moving so that she could see his face.

His one eye was closed and bits of sand stuck to the side of his face.

Rikku looked down at him, hesitating on what to do. Slowly, she moved her hot hands to his forehead and felt his skin.

_He doesn't seem to be burning up...so what could possibly be the pro..._

His eyes snapped open.

Surprised, she fell back away from him.

"Gi-Gippal...?!!"

He stood up and brushed the sand away from his face, sitting up and leaning back on his hands.

"Gotcha," he winked.

Rikku sat where she was and felt her mouth drop. She could feel her anger rising up, beginning in her fists and making its way upward. She stood up.

Gippal's laughter stopped as he met her eyes. Seeing her beginning to advance on him, he scrambled up and began running, Rikku not too far behind.

"It was just a joke...!" he chuckled over her screams and curses.

Rikku ran faster, the sun hot against her face. But she didn't care. "Get back here! That was NOT funny!!!"

Gippal suddenly stopped in his tracks, much to the surprise of them both. He turned to her with his arms held out, a grin tugging at his lips. "Ok, I'll stop. Now what will you do...Rikku?"

She paused at how he pronounced her name. He seemed to emphasize it, purposely refraining from calling her "Cid's Girl." She also couldn't help but swallow with some difficulty at his question.

"That wasn't funny, y'know!" Rikku exclaimed again, crossing her arms and leaning heavily to one side. "I really thought you had passed out or somethin'!"

Gippal scratched the back of his head and smiled at her casually. "Well now I know that you really aren't as cold as you try to be," he laughed again. "You were really worried about me back there, weren't you?"

Rikku said nothing and instead began to continue forward, marching without turning back to him.

"Just trying to lighten up our relationship a bit. Y'know...since I walked in on you this morning and all..." he added, seeing her stop in her steps.

Rikku spun on her heel, facing him with fire in her eyes. He stood his ground.

"And about that! Let's just try to forget about it, ok?" she sighed out, knowing full well that it wasn't something he would probably forget. Rikku mentally slapped herself for looking like a fool back in the bathroom. Dressed in nothing but a towel no less.

_Oh, man. He's gonna use that against me all summer!_

She studied him for a moment. Just from their initial encounter, he already gave an air of cockiness that seemed to permeate through him. It still baffled her how they had just met that morning. He seemed so...open and forward with her.

"Ok, I'll stop botherin' you about it," Gippal suddenly spoke up. She faced him.

"Good."

He laughed. "But don't think that I'll ever forget it...! I mean how could I...with you dripping wet there and-"

Her eyes widened. "We goin' or not?!" she stomped away again, feeling her face burning with embarrassment.

_Damn him! He's embarrassed me enough today! And he's gonna be living with us?! What is Pops thinking?_

She could still hear him chuckling every now and then as they continued towards the oasis. By then, the sun was directly overhead, and it was hotter than ever. She was glad that she had taken a shower, but it wasn't uncommon for a person to take showers two or even three times a day. It was just too humid.

"So...this is it, hm...?" Gippal stopped beside her, looking down into the clear water. She nodded absent-mindedly, still mad at him.

"Yeah, there's not much to see around here anyway, so I thought I'd take you to someplace where the water was cool," Rikku responded, her hands on her hips.

He said nothing, but instead began removing his boots. She turned to look at him just as he reached down and began un-tucking his shirt.

_Tysh...what is he doing?!!_

Rikku stood for a few awkward seconds, sweeping her mind for something to say. For a few more agonizing moments, she decided not to say anything at all.

Gippal looked up and noted her expression. He smirked. "Don't you mind me. I'm just going to cool off for a bit," he informed her.

She quickly found herself again and nodded, moving her gaze away. "Don't take too long. If we stay for a long time, the fiends will start to come," Rikku said, heading behind towards the rocks. "I'll be over here, so hurry up."

"Not a problem," Gippal laughed, tossing his shirt aside.

Rikku sunk down against the cool rock, hearing the soft splashes of the water from the other side. She reached up and wiped her damp forehead with the back of her hand. It was easily over 100 degrees that day, and she knew it would be like that for at least four more months. Not like it was ever cold at the desert. But she always liked the cooler months the most.

"You still there?" she heard Gippal call out.

_As if there's anywhere else to go, tch._

"Yeah, I'm here," Rikku responded, shrugging away her angry thoughts. She couldn't quite place a finger on it, but Gippal had really annoyed the hell out of her! It was the first time she had ever met someone like him.

Leaning back, she wished she had worn something cooler. But she was already wearing shorts and a tank top. What more could she do?

_Hm, but that water was really sounding nice right around now._

Standing up, she decided to call out to him again. "You ready yet?"

She was greeted with silence. Heading towards the opening, she slowly peeked into the oasis area, realizing that it suddenly was much quieter.

He wasn't there.

"Gippal?" she asked hesitantly, looking quickly around the area. "Stop messing around or else..."

"Or else what?"

Rikku jumped slightly at the voice and turned around, seeing that he was already dressed again. The sun caught the small droplets of water that clung to his spikes. He smiled.

"A bit jumpy, are we?" Gippal laughed. He looked out towards the water again. "You sure you don't wanna take a quick dip?"

She shook her head firmly, motioning to him. "Let's just go. I've had a long day, and you've worn me out!" Rikku exclaimed, wanting nothing more than to take a nap.

He scratched the back of his head, following after her. "Alright then. Let's head back," he agreed quietly.

_Strange...he seems to have mellowed down. Maybe I've finally hit a weak spot...?_

She turned around hesitantly, seeing that he was following a few steps behind her. He was looking down at the ground.

_Huh?! Is he sad...?_

Rikku continued to walk on towards Home, confused and frustrated at the same time.

"So where'd you two go?" Cid asked as they entered the front door. Rikku bent down, removing her boots and tossing them to the side.

"Nowhere much. Just showed him the oasis," she replied, heading up the stairs towards her bedroom.

"Oh, Rikku," Cid spoke up, stopping Rikku in her steps.

"Yeah?"

Her father scratched the back of his head nervously. "I uh...hope this is ok with you, but Gippal will be sleeping in your bed."

Rikku felt her eyes widen and had her mouth open ready to respond in shock, but she quickly shut it, seeing Cid's apologetic look.

Gippal looked back and forth between them and stepped in. "It's alright, Cid. I'll just sleep out here on the couch and..." he paused, seeing the metal furniture all around them. "Uh..."

"Yeah, exactly," Cid said, seeing Gippal's expression. He turned to his daughter. "Sorry, Rikku. But he's company, and besides...there's always the extra mattress you can pull down to use."

Rikku sighed, knowing that it was the Al Bhed way to treat company well. That, and it would be no use arguing with Cid anyway.

_Dang...this sucks._

"Yeah, sure thing, Pops. I'll get things ready," Rikku replied simply, motioning for Gippal to follow her.

"Uh, thanks, Rikku..." Gippal replied in embarrassment, moving up the stairs after her.

Rikku led them further down the hall, stopping to open the door at the end. Gippal was close behind her.

_I can't believe he's actually going to be sleeping in my bed! It seems so...so...wrong...!_

"So I guess you'll be sleeping in my bed for the summer," Rikku told Gippal as he entered her bedroom, eyeing the machina drawings on her wall.

He whistled. "Never expected you to have a bedroom like this..." he trailed off, moving over to look at a small machina model that was assembled on her desk.

"Yeah, well I'm not like other girls," Rikku decided to say, knowing full well that most girls her age were into the colorful bedrooms and girly flowers. It just wasn't her style.

"I guess not..." Gippal agreed quietly, turning around to face her.

She cleared her throat as their gazes met. She moved towards the door.

"So uh...I'll get a new set of sheets for you."

"Thanks...Rikku."

Her step faltered at the sound of her name spoken. She continued out to the hall nonetheless, reaching into the closet to get extra sheets for him as well as herself.

When she returned to the room, he was standing near the bed and looked up when she entered. Handing him the sheets, she found herself hanging around for a bit before his gaze met with her's again.

_Did he just catch me staring at him?! ._

"You all right? Need some help getting your mattress or something?" Gippal asked, seeing her eyes on him.

"Aha...no. No, that's okay. I got it," Rikku replied, gripping the doorknob and preparing to leave.

He laughed, putting his hand up to wave. "Ok, then. Have a nice nap."

Rikku nodded and quickly exited. She dragged the mattress from the closet and moved it to the empty room next door. Throwing the sheets over it haphazardly, she found herself collapsing in exhaustion on the soft cushion. It was a relief for her tired muscles and she was soon fast asleep.

Gippal sat in the next room, lying on the newly made bed. A sweet smell drifted by his nose, and he noted that it was familiar...feminine somehow.

He closed his eye, his tired mind finally getting the best of him.

_Rikku, huh? Hm..._

**End of Chapter 2**

A/N: Thanks for reading! See you in the next one!


	3. Morning Gift

A/N: Happy new year, everyone! Thanks for the reviews once again. It always means a lot to hear comments and feedback from all my wonderful readers.

Enjoy this one.

Chapter 3: Morning Gift

Rikku awoke with a start, taking a quick note of her surroundings. She was in a dark room, and sleeping on a mattress...on the floor?

She shook her head firmly, remembering everything that had happened earlier that day. Looking down at her watch, it was almost midnight.

If it was one thing Rikku hated, it was not sleeping in her pajamas. It just didn't feel right without them. She stood from the floor shakily, making her way out towards her own bedroom at the end of the hall. She stopped short in her tracks.

_Damn...I forgot that Gippal's in there. I just need a change of clothing, so if I'm quiet, it should be ok..._

She turned the doorknob quietly, cringing each time it made a squeak. Slipping into the dark room, she made her way towards the dresser near the bed. Rikku could see Gippal's sleeping form under the moonlight, his breathing filling the room.

She kneeled down in front of the dresser and pulled out the clothes she needed, depending on her sense of touch alone to figure out what article of clothing was what. A soft groan near the bed stopped her movements, but was startled out of her skin when a warm hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Rikku froze, turning her head slowly around. In the dim room, she could see Gippal's arm extended out, his hand apparently had come to rest on her shoulder.

With a slow movement to the side, she managed to get his hanging limb away from her and close the cabinet drawer slowly. She let out a sigh.

She gathered up the clothes and stood up.

_Oh, shi...!_

Mind racing in horror, she fell forward and landed upon the bed, feeling the tangled piece of clothing around her ankle. She backed away in alarm, hearing Gippal mumbling and moving in the darkness.

Rikku scrambled to her feet once again, dashing out of the bedroom and heading quickly into the room next door. She threw the clothes on the mattress and mentally cursed herself for being so clumsy.

_Geez, I hope he didn't see me._

The following morning, Gippal awakened with a yawn, sitting up and stretching his muscles. The night had seemed to end so quickly, and he looked out the window. Bright sunlight leaked through the blinds and he stifled another yawn.

"Huh...? What's...this...?" he spoke aloud, noticing a tiny pair of white underwater on top of his blankets. Looking down, he picked them up gingerly and smirked, heading out towards the hallway.

Rikku cracked her eyes open, feeling a tickling sensation on her face. She looked up, seeing a flash of white and gold. She sat up quickly.

"Gippal...?!" Rikku exclaimed, seeing him sitting on the floor next to her mattress. Her eyes trailed down to his right hand and she felt her eyes widen.

"Missing something?" he asked in a whisper, a smile tugging at his lips. He held the piece of underwear in front of her, studying her every expression.

Rikku felt her face begin to warm up.

"Wh-...Where did you find those?!" she hissed at him. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Maybe I should be asking why they were on top of me when I woke up this morning?" Gippal responded coolly, moving his face closer to her.

_Agh...they must have dropped on the bed when I fell on him earlier..._

"I uh...y'know, about that, I—"

"Rikku, time to get...up..." Brother's voice cut her off. They both looked up at Brother just as he entered the door. Rikku's eyes flew to the panties that Gippal was holding in his hand. He seemed to realize it just in time and quickly moved them behind his back.

But not fast enough.

Brother raised an eyebrow, entering the room.

"Huh? What's going on in here, Rikku?" he asked with a thick accent, crossing his arms. His gaze rested on Gippal for a few moments and he frowned in confusion.

"Haven't you heard of knocking, Brother?" Rikku asked, moving into a sitting position.

"What?!! Rikku, I come in here and there's a boy in your room...! Where's Dad for all this?! And more importantly, what the hell were you holding?" Brother added, moving into the room and looking behind Gippal.

They both froze as Brother picked up the underwear in shock, his gaze flying to Gippal.

"Fryd tu oui drehg oui'na tuehk fedr so cecdan, oui meddma banjand!!! (What do you think you're doing with my sister, you little pervert!)

Rikku jumped up, immediately moving in front of her brother.

"You idiot! Gippal didn't do anything. I'm the one that..." she immediately put a hand on her mouth and gasped.

Gippal looked up at her, his eye widening. He was still seated on the floor beside the mattress.

"What are you saying, Rikku?" Brother asked, looking down at his sister with hell written all over his face.

Rikku gulped. She looked over at Gippal and saw his gaze upon her. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Tysh ed! Why don't you get out of my room!!"

Brother looked at his sister, stunned at how she was speaking to him. He was about to open his mouth ready to rebuff her, but Cid suddenly appeared at the door.

"What in blazes is goin' on in here? All I hear is a bunch of hollerin!"

Rikku turned to her father and walked towards him. "Hey, Pops! Tell Brother to get the heck outta my room! I was tryin to get some sleep, sheesh!"

Cid looked around at them quickly, immediately seeing his son clutching a pair of white underwear. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's that you got there, son?"

Brother immediately dropped it and scratched his head, preparing to exit the bedroom. He didn't look up, but they could hear him grumbling under his breath.

Cid turned to Gippal. "And you? What were you doing in here?"

Gippal stood up, ready to reply but was immediately silenced by Rikku.

"He came to wake me up for today's dive," she heard herself saying.

_What?! What the heck am I saying? Why am I covering his ass?!!_

She looked away, avoiding everyone's eyes.

Cid looked back and forth between them for a moment before speaking again. "Oh, Rikku. About today..."

Rikku paused. "Yeah?"

"The dive's been cancelled. We got an emergency call to head out to the Thunder Plains," Cid explained, checking his watch.

"The Thunder Plains? But what's there to do there, sir?" Gippal asked, moving to stand beside Rikku. They all seemed to forget about the commotion from earlier.

Cid sighed, apparently surprised at the change of plans as well. "The towers don't seem to be working, and we need people to go and calibrate them. I've assigned Rikku to help out," Cid added, turning to his daughter.

"Oh...all right," Rikku responded hesitantly.

"Since I don't have any other missions for you here, Gippal, you're going to be assigned for the North section of the plains. Think you can handle that?" Cid asked him.

"It won't be a problem," Gippal replied confidently, leaning a bit on one leg.

Rikku turned to her father. "But Pops, when am I going to be using the new machina for the dive?"

Cid began heading out the door. "Maybe sometime next week, Rikku. It needs to be tested anyway, so don't worry about it yet," he replied. He stopped, turning to look at the two of them again. "Get dressed, we gotta get moving now."

They both nodded as Cid left the room.

Rikku stood awkwardly absorbed in the silence that filled the room. She heard Gippal clear his throat.

"Well, uh...I guess I should get dressed too," he spoke up.

She nodded. "Yeah, same here."

He seemed to linger around for an extra moment, just looking at her with a short smile.

Rikku suddenly felt very self-conscious and she glanced in his direction. "What...?"

Gippal shook his head, chuckling. "Just never expected things to be so exciting here in the mornings," he laughed. "Oh, and uh...what was that you were saying about things being your fault?" he added, causing Rikku to turn her attention more fully to him.

It was her turn to laugh this time, shrugging him off of her. "Ahaha. That was nothing. I just saved your ass back there, y'know," Rikku replied, crossing her arms underneath her chest.

He waved a hand through the air as he spoke. "Right. So...how should I repay you?" Gippal added, moving towards her. She found herself backing into the wall and was no less surprised when she felt herself leaning into it. Gippal moved his face closer. She stole a quick glance at the door to make sure no one was coming in, and realized that she couldn't slip away from him. "...and I know that the underwear didn't just show up on the bed. A little bird told me...or maybe I should say _fell _on top of me," he whispered.

Rikku's eyes flew to his and she almost swallowed her tongue. "W-What are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean," Gippal chuckled, leaning into her some more. He smiled in satisfaction. "I knew I recognized your smell."

Rikku immediately prevented herself from gasping aloud or even showing a sign that he was right. She looked up into his eye, her face completely neutral.

"So what else did this little bird tell you?"

Gippal smirked, surprised at how she decided to follow his game. "She said that I was right," he replied with a wink, and backed completely away from her.

Rikku responded by pushing him out the door. He went willingly, chuckling even as she slammed the door in his face. She sighed, looking around the room. The underwear was still on the floor.

_Argh! All this because of that!_ she thought with annoyance and began pulling on her clothes for the day.

Ten minutes later Rikku emerged from the hall, making her way down the stairs. From the corner of her eye she saw Gippal exit his room (or rather, _her_ room) and they both paused as their eyes met.

"Whoa...you goin' out in that?" Gippal asked after some time, looking her quickly up and down.

Rikku turned to face him fully, looking down at herself. "Huh? What's wrong with it?"

She was wearing a pair of short green shorts and an orange tanktop. Since the new mission required calibrating, the new pair of gloves she bought the other day was on her hands as well. Her item belt hung loosely around her waist.

Gippal shook his head as his gaze raised up to meet her's again. "Nothing...nevermind."

"You two ready now?" Cid's voice asked from below.

They both looked down over the railing. "Coming," Rikku replied.

The short trip to the Thunder Plains was an awkward one. Cid had arranged for Rikku to fly with Gippal, along with three other rookie workers. Besides herself and Gippal, the other Al Bhed on the hovercraft were in their early twenties, and they didn't seem to know each other or want to talk at all.

Every now and then Rikku would look up at everyone's faces, and each and every time her eyes landed on Gippal, she would find his gaze on her. He was sitting directly across from her, his arms resting on the chair.

The third time she looked in his direction, he winked.

Rikku immediately stuck her tongue out at him and didn't once look back at him for the rest of the flight.

"Alright kids, go to your stations and get working. The thunder is pretty bad out here, so be careful," the pilot instructed, opening the hatch after they had landed.

Rikku stood up and adjusted her gloves, seeing the other Al Bhed begin to exit by the ladder. Gippal was following closely after them.

"Hold on a second, let _me_ go ahead of you, Gippal," Rikku said to him, pulling him by his arm. He didn't move.

"Huh? Why?"

"Just because," she replied, moving ahead to cut him.

Gippal looked at her for a moment before realization finally dawned on him. He smiled sideways. "Oh, I get it. Worried that I'd see something you wouldn't want me to if I were below, hm?"

Rikku fought off a blush and saw that it was her turn to climb down the ladder. She quickly moved into position and stole one last glance at Gippal as she descended. "Yeah, because you're perverted enough to look up," she replied, and made her way down.

Gippal looked down as she finished, before heading down himself. He shook his head, laughing.

They had been working for some time, and Rikku shivered slightly to herself, looking up at the dark sky just as drops of rain came down upon her face. She looked up and saw that she was the only one left in her area. The North section was no doubt complete, since the towers seemed to be working fine again from where she stood.

She just couldn't seem to concentrate on calibrating quickly enough. The loud rumbling and flashes of thunder seemed to be so close to her each time, and she couldn't help but jump whenever the sky lit up. She looked around again. The rain was coming down in torrents, the thunder louder than ever.

Rikku stood up, the last tower finally complete. Looking out towards the inn, it was a long run back. The towers were spread out so far from each other, and she felt herself shivering.

_But, I can't stay out here forever..._

With a quick sprint she reached the second tower, realizing that the whole thing was ridiculous.

_Argh...when did I become so scared of thunder?_

Rikku leaned back against the metal, and remained underneath the shelter of the tower. She could feel her teeth chattering from the cold winds, and the rain's steady beating against the metal ceiling was almost hypnotic. Her eyelids drifted steadily closed.

xxxx

She groaned, turning herself over. With a start, her eyes flew open and she sat up.

"Whoa...you okay now...?"

Rikku looked up and found Gippal's face. He scratched the back of his head and moved closer to her. "You didn't come back for a long time, so I went out and found you under the tower." He paused and suddenly turned around from her. "I thought something had happened to you, y'know."

"I uh..." she paused, collapsing back onto the pillow with a sigh. She shut her eyes. "I don't know what happened to me out there. I just couldn't get back to the inn like that."

_Damn, what's wrong with me? I've suddenly become so weak._

"Cid wants us to come back to the base tomorrow morning," Gippal suddenly informed her, moving to sit in the chair from across the bed.

Rikku turned so that she was facing him. "Does he know what happened to me?" she asked quietly.

Gippal shook his head. "Nah, I didn't tell him 'bout it. Figured that was up to you to tell him...or not."

She sighed in relief.

"Ah well...you're also probably wondering why I'm here."

She raised her eyes to him again.

_Huh? Why else wouldn't he be here? Unless he really wasn't worried about me and..._

"The others have taken the other three rooms, so I don't have a place to stay for the night," Gippal began in embarrassment, leaning back in the chair.

Rikku sat up and brushed her damp hair behind her ear.

"So ah...since you're the only one I know, would it be all right if I slept here? But...not in your bed, of course...!" he added as an afterthought, chuckling.

Rikku looked at him for a moment and nodded. "Sure, but...um. I know I couldn't sleep in that chair like that," she giggled softly, reaching around from behind her.

Gippal tilted his head to the side. "What are you saying...?"

She suddenly tossed one of her pillows to him, giggling.

He smiled, catching it. "Oh, so that's what you meant."

"Huh? What did you think I was saying? That I'd let you sleep next to me or something?" Rikku asked, feeling herself blush at the words.

Gippal laughed. "Well...yeah."

They sat silent for a moment.

"Just kiddin. I know we haven't gotten to know each other enough to go that far," Gippal said again smirking at her from where he sat.

Her face was red and she knew it. Rikku reached up and turned the light off, still seeing Gippal's silhouette in the darkness. She pulled the blanket over herself once more and turned her back to him, feeling her face cooling down.

Gippal smiled to himself, looking at her form for a moment before shutting his own eye and leaning into the pillow. It smelled faintly of her.

"Hey, Gippal...?"

He cracked his eye open. "Yeah?"

Rikku turned to look behind at him, smiling. "Thanks for today. For um...bringing me back."

"Anytime," he smiled.

**End of Chapter 3**

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! See you in Chapter 4!


	4. Butterflies

A/N: I'm very pleased that people liked the last chapter! I know that I left it at such an evil "cliffhanger," but I thought it was a nice way to end it. Thanks again for your support, everyone! It's great to see some familiar names reading my stories once again!

Chapter 4: Butterflies

Burning daylight streamed in from the open window, shaking Rikku out from her dream. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the white ceiling, fragments of the dream still remaining in her mind.

She only remembered bits and pieces of it, but the one thing she knew was that it was a rather pleasant one. It was about her of course, but in it, she was with someone as they spent a sweet day together. Rikku turned herself over, trying to figure out who the boy in her dream was. She shut her eyes tightly, really wanting to know who it was.

Those types of dreams always seemed to happen to her. Whenever they were good, she would forget the important details of it, only for the memories to come rushing back to her minutes or even days afterwards. She paused, feeling her mind pulling at something from the dream.

A face suddenly appeared and she dropped her mouth in horror.

_What the...?!! No way!!! NO WAY!!_

Rikku lay on her bed, gripping the blanket over herself and feeling her face warm.

_Why him? Why HIM?! Of all people...Gippal...?_

The realization that she had just dreamt about the young man she had met days ago came crashing down upon her like a blow. Not only had she fantasized about Gippal by dreaming about him, the dream itself was one that made Rikku's blush darken even more. Because she was pretty damn sure that in it, she and Gippal had shared a kiss.

The memory made her eyes widen even more. She searched her mind, trying to find a reason...any reason at all, why on Spira she would dream about him.

"Uggh..."

Rikku almost bit her tongue at the sound, and she looked quickly behind her, realizing with silent alarm that Gippal had spent the night in the chair beside her. She just remembered. Her mind raced again as she saw him shifting in his chair, the pillow she had given him the night before falling to the floor.

_Oh no. Please tell me that I didn't talk in my sleep last night. Oh please, please...!_

Since she was a kid, Rikku knew that whenever she had a nice dream, she would talk while she slept, giggling or even squealing in delight. Her brother had informed her of it, and her old friends from machina school had told her whenever she slept at their house. Because of that, she was embarrassed to have any more sleepovers.

_Of all nights and of all people...why!!_

"You awake...?" a sleep-filled voice murmured from behind her.

She turned herself over, hoping that the original color had returned to her face by then.

"Y-yeah..."

He yawned, standing up slowly and stretching his back. The sound of popping joints filled the room and he looked over at her, seeing Rikku trying to suppress a giggle.

"Let's see you try sleeping there," Gippal chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair. He yawned again before looking in her direction.

"No thanks!" she whispered back at him, finally moving up into a sitting position. She reached up to smooth her hair.

"Sleep well?" Gippal asked again, changing the subject. He moved back to seat himself in the chair.

Rikku blinked, before nodding slowly. "Y-yeah, it was all right..." she trailed off, seeing him smile suddenly.

"You know...cause I heard you mumbling in the middle of the night and all..."

She swallowed. "O-oh yeah? What, was I talkin' in my sleep or something?" she laughed, scratching the back of her head nervously.

_Please don't say yes. Please don't say yes...!_

Gippal's smile widened and he raised an eyebrow. Moving towards her bed, he bent down and picked up her shoes. Rikku watched as he moved over to the window and opened it, holding the shoes out over the edge.

She gasped, scrambling out of bed. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Reaching up, she tried to grab his arm. He laughed.

"I'll tell you what you said _and_ give you back your shoes, but only if you give me something in return," Gippal spoke up, using his free hand to toss back a few strands from his forehead.

Rikku narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She took a step back away from him and crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side. "What...do you want?" she asked, almost dreading what he was going to say.

_Please don't let it be something bad or something!_

He smiled. "Kiss me."

She backed away even more, her face flaming. "No way!" she shook her head firmly. "What are you trying to do?!"

Gippal chuckled, releasing three fingers on the shoes so that he was only holding it with two. "You really want to go all the way downstairs to get these?" he raised an eyebrow at her, smiling at her frustration.

Rikku groaned loudly, jumping up and grabbing at his extended arm again. "Ooh!! Just give them back!!"

He held his ground, not the least bothered by her grabs at him. "Stop that, Cid's Girl...y'know that's really starting to tickle," he laughed again.

She released his arm in embarrassment, looking up into his face. "If you don't give them back, I'll tell my Dad to kick you out!"

Gippal seemed to laugh louder, finally moving his arm back into the room. He took a step closer to her.

"You know you won't do that," he said quietly, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. She froze. "After all, I know that you dreamt about me," Gippal whispered before quickly capturing her lips with his.

The contact was quick, and Rikku hadn't had the chance to even shove him away or curse herself that she really had been talking in her sleep.

"Y-you jerk...!!" she exclaimed after he stepped back. Her face was burning at that point, and she wiped her lips with the back of her hand quickly. His laugh seemed to quiet down when he saw her do that, realizing his mistake too late.

"Hey, uh...sor—"

"Nope! Don't even say it! I'm not talking to you...!" Rikku exclaimed, grabbing her shoes from him and shoving her feet angrily in. She grabbed her bag as well, leaving him standing alone in the bedroom as she exited.

_That jerk! How dare he do that to me!! Omigosh...just like that damn dream too...! Argh! Why do I feel so mad?!_

Gippal stood for a moment, hanging his head and sighing. He raised a hand to touch his lips before leaving the room after her.

The ride back to Home was even more awkward than the first one. Gippal had tried stopping Rikku several times to try and apologize to her, but she always turned her face away from him. Presently, she was sitting in the far corner of the airship. She hadn't once looked at him, and he could sense her anger. He had his gaze on her for the entire flight, hoping to meet her eyes somehow.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence on the airship, Gippal watched as Rikku stood and exited after they had landed. He saw her eyes finally rest on him, but once she saw him looking at her as well, she turned her nose defiantly up at him.

He sighed again.

"Riiiiikkkuuu...wait," he called out to her in defeat.

She stopped on the ladder for a moment and looked at him, the wind tossing up her hair. "You're not forgiven." And with that, she continued climbing down.

Gippal hurried after her, climbing the ladder and jumping the last remaining steps. He reached out to grab her arm gently. "C'mon, Rikku.…let me-"

She spun out of his grasp and continued the walk back to the residential area.

"Let go!"

He chased after her, moving to walk in her way so she didn't have a choice but to look at him.

"Will you at least look at me...c'mon..." he asked again, sounding desperate.

Rikku looked up at him, her frown softening slightly at the tone of his voice.

_Hm, he seems to have given up. But he stole that kiss! I can't let him get away with that!!!_

She finally stopped walking, much to his surprise. Walking up in front of him, she looked him in the eye.

"Why'd you do it?"

He looked at her, knowing that she meant the kiss. He tried preparing an answer, but realized that he didn't quite know himself.

"I uh..." he began, scratching the back of his head.

Rikku stood, waiting for his reason.

"Yeah?" she prompted, moving to peer up into his face.

Gippal met her eyes hesitantly. "I guess 'cause I just did..." he replied after some time.

"What?! What kind of answer is that?" she demanded, waving a hand in the air. She was still angry, but a part of her admitted that she wasn't as angry as she made it seem.

He shrugged, knowing that the kiss had been just a playful thing...right? Swamped in his own confusion at why he did it, he wasn't prepared to answer her. He searched his mind again before sighing.

"I guess I just wanted to annoy you...cause you know..." he trailed off, causing Rikku to turn her attention back to him. "...cause I like seeing you mad like that. I dunno...itt's kinda...cute."

The last word seemed to trail from his mouth slowly, and Rikku couldn't help but hang onto it. But she shrugged it off, beginning to walk the rest of the way towards Home.

"W-What are you talking about..." she grumbled to herself, hearing him right behind her.

_Argh...he's making me feel all weird inside! Why does he have to say things like that, anyway? He should just keep his big mouth shut so that I wouldn't have to feel so..._

Gippal watched her retreating back as she walked away. He wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Ok, fine! What do you want me to do to make it up to you?" he called out to her. The one thing Gippal couldn't stand was when a girl was mad at him. It made him feel inferior somehow, as if he should have been trying to win her attention instead. Her footsteps slowed down before stopping completely. She whirled around, kicking up sand.

"What?!" Rikku shouted back at him, her hands on her hips.

He smiled, walking towards her. "You heard me."

She paused at that, knowing full well that a part of her wanted to see Gippal at her mercy. He continued towards her. And it was tempting indeed.

_But what? What can I do?_

He stopped directly in front of her, causing her to snap back to reality. She smiled suddenly at her idea, standing on her tippy toes so that her face was near his. His eye widened.

"Okay, here's what I want you to do," Rikku began, amused at how easily he seemed to react.

"Name it," he replied confidently and with a grin.

"Hm, all right. You won't speak to me, touch me, or make me mad for two days."

Gippal backed away from her, his mouth slightly open. "Wh-What...?! But that's cheating!" he exclaimed, waving a hand through the air.

Rikku mentally gave herself a high five, satisfied with his reaction. "How's it cheating?" she asked innocently, her head slightly tilted to the side.

"'Cause it means you haven't forgiven me at all," he replied with a grin.

"Don't do it then. Then I'll really stay mad at you forever!" Rikku laughed, waving a finger at him.

Gippal stood for a moment, looking at her. His lip seemed to twitch as a smile finally appeared.

"All right then. I'll do it."

He wasn't going to let her win over him. No way in hell.

_Hm, he seems so sure of himself. We'll see about that._

"Tomorrow then. Your first day starts," Rikku informed him, turning around to head back.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute," Gippal spoke up. She stopped and looked at him.

"What? Trying to back out?" Rikku laughed.

He shook his head, licking his lips thoughtfully. "And what do I get if I win after the 2 days are up? It shouldn't be too hard for me to win y'know," Gippal added cockily.

_We'll see about that. Heh._

"I guess we'll see then," Rikku replied just as confidently.

"How 'bout this..." he began, pacing in front of her. "If I win, you'll agree to be my servant for the rest of the summer."

Rikku froze, her smile fading.

_Oh no...that means I really need to make sure he loses this. No way am I going to be his slave!! NO WAY! But then again. It'll be great to see him lose and apologize to me._

"Deal," she declared, holding out her gloved hand to him.

Gippal looked down at it, grinning. He took her's in his own gloved hand.

"It's a bet then."

They shook each other's hand. Rikku let her hand drop beside her and began walking the remaining distance back to their house, leaving Gippal not too far behind her. She suddenly felt his arm around her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she asked him calmly. They had just passed the shop district.

He grinned sideways. "The bet doesn't start tomorrow, so I can bother you as much I want today," he answered easily, causing her to groan.

**End of Chapter 4**

A/N: As some of you might have already expected, I had fun writing this chapter. I can't wait to start Chapters 5 though!

Thanks again for reading, and please review.


	5. Day 1

Chapter 5: Day 1

Rikku awoke bright and early the next morning, tossing her blankets back and stretching happily. It was going to be a very interesting first day for her blond friend, and she looked forward to seeing him.

"Ah...finally. Two whole days of not being bothered by him!" she spoke aloud, already congratulating herself at a victory she hadn't quite attained yet.

_Hm, but there's always the possibility that he might win. So I can't let that happen!_

The last thing she wanted was for him to rub it in her face that he won. _If_ he won. It would not only annoy her, but she had to save herself and her pride because she was sure as hell not going to be his servant for the whole summer.

"No way!" Rikku voiced her thoughts.

Finished dressing, she pulled on her shoes and opened the door, just as Gippal walked by. He stopped in his tracks, his mouth open ready to say something to her. Rikku raised her eyebrow at him and smirked. He promptly closed it again, apparently remembering the bet and continued down the hall past her, heading for the stairs.

_Ooh, this is going to be fun._

Rikku headed into the kitchen and sat down at the table, reaching for a slice of bread. She leaned back in the chair and propped her legs up, seeing Gippal pour himself a glass of milk at the counter. She simply watched him with strong interest as she chewed on the toast. He suddenly turned around to face her and their eyes met. She smiled at him teasingly, but he turned away, his face completely neutral.

_He's doing better than I thought. Argh! I need to win! I want to see him begging for my forgiveness, dammit!_

"Mornin' you two. How'd the mission go?" Cid suddenly spoke up, entering the kitchen.

"It was a success. The towers work great now," Gippal responded easily, leaning back against the counter. Rikku's eyes widened as she heard Gippal. Catching herself from claiming her victory right then and there, and remembered that she restricted Gippal from talking to _her_. She didn't say he couldn't talk to anyone else.

_Argh! _

Yet, a part of her was grateful that he decided not to tell her father about her little incident out in the Thunder Plains. It would have made Cid think of her as a child, and Rikku wanted to show her father that she wasn't.

Cid nodded. "Nice work. Oh, and uh...you two have the day off today," he informed them, pouring a cup of coffee for himself.

Rikku dropped her legs from the table. "Really, Pops? How come?"

Her father shrugged, taking a sip. "You need to get your mind and body ready for the dive, Rikku. We go three days from today."

"Really?! That's great!!" Rikku exclaimed, jumping up from her chair.

"Clean up, will ya? I gotta go make the final preparations on the machina, so see ya kids later," her father said, exiting the kitchen with a wave.

"Later, Pops!" Rikku called out after him.

They were alone again.

She turned her attention to Gippal. "So...uh...got any plans today?"

He simply turned his back to her and finished down the rest of his milk.

Rikku frowned.

_This might be harder than I thought..._

Walking up to him, she reached out to get the carton of milk that was next to him, purposely moving her body near his so that he could "accidentally" touch her.

He looked down into her face and smirked, before exiting the kitchen completely.

Rikku stood huffing. "I'm not done with you, mister!" she yelled out, and followed him out of the house.

She had been trying to track him down for nearly twenty minutes and as ridiculous as she knew it was, Rikku wasn't prepared to hand Gippal the victory just like that. Somehow, and very soon, she was going to make him lose.

_But what else can I do?_

Hushed voices stopped her train of thought, and she looked around. The voices seemed to be coming from behind the vehicle that was on her left. Curious, she peaked from the corner and was ready to call out to him, but a flash of brown hair caused her to stay right where she was.

The brunette was talking to Gippal and had reached out to stroke his face. He seemed to smile a bit at that, but he had his face turned away from her. Rikku saw that the girl was fairly attractive, tall, and had a cute face. Her eyes were obviously glued on Gippal, and she moved closer to him.

Rikku clenched the side of the car tightly.

Gippal backed away from the girl and seemed to say something, scratching the back of his head. Rikku leaned in closer to try and make out what he was saying.

"Sorry, I uh...you're cute, but I'm just not interested. Sorry..."

Rikku's ears perked up at his words and she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

_Not interested?! Please! The girl is practically throwing herself at you!_

Rikku remained steady and continued to listen.

"Oh, I see..." the girl replied softly, looking down at her feet.

Gippal remained motionless for a moment before he began walking away.

"Do you...like someone else?" the girl asked quietly. The question caused Gippal to pause in mid-step.

Rikku almost lost the grip she had on the vehicle's handle, and she leaned forward even more, awaiting Gippal's response with sudden interest. He was quiet for a while before he turned around to face her.

"I...I might..." Gippal finally answered, trailing off.

"Who is she?" the girl suddenly demanded, moving in front of him. Gippal shook his head, walking in the direction Rikku was hiding.

"Sorry, I...gotta go now..." he replied gently, leaving her behind.

Rikku hid herself deeper in the shadows as she heard Gippal's footsteps approaching. Once they faded away, she let out a sigh.

_So he likes someone? _

Rikku checked to make sure no one else was in the area, and she stood up from her hiding spot. Heading back towards the house, she seemed to walk in a daze.

_Wait, why do I feel bothered by that? Why do I feel like I care?! I don't care, dammit! _

She stopped in front of the door to her house and turned the doorknob. It was locked.

_Great, it's locked. And look at that! I forgot the key too! Wonderful..._

A shadow suddenly appeared behind her and she let out a surprised gasp as Gippal put the key in and unlocked the door. Their eyes met as Rikku looked up at his face, and she realized how close he was standing to her. Opening it, he paused and let her step inside the house first before he entered not far behind her.

They stood awkwardly in the living room for a moment as Gippal bent down to take off his boots.

Rikku watched him, feeling slightly guilty for eavesdropping on his conversation with the brunette just minutes ago.

_He doesn't seem to suspect anything though..._

She stood for another second longer before heading into the kitchen without another word. Gippal looked up as she walked by him, frowning.

Rikku put the dishes into the kitchen sink after she had finished clearing the table. Turning on the faucet, she turned to look up just as Gippal walked into the room and sat down at the table.

_I...have nothing else to say to him, so I just won't..._

She was still disturbed from what he had said to that girl.

Grabbing the soap, she began washing the dishes silently, her back turned to him. Although she knew that she had to make him crack and make him lose somehow, the conversation she heard earlier just couldn't get off her mind for some reason.

Frustrated and confused, she firmly shook her head, causing Gippal to stand up from the chair and walk towards her.

Rikku continued washing the plate, seeing Gippal from out of the corner of her eye. He leaned back against the counter beside her, watching as she finished up the dishes. She didn't look up at him, but grabbed the towel instead and dried of her hands.

She sighed at him with annoyance, raising an eyebrow. "Are you just going to stand there all day or something?" His eye widened ever so slightly and his mouth twitched a bit. He was obviously taken aback by her sudden anger.

_Why am I so mad all of a sudden? I just want him to say something to me. He's like this because of the bet, so why am I even surprised by it?_

Rikku looked at him for a few more seconds before walking away, leaving him alone.

Gippal stood alone in the room. He sighed. "Rikku..."

It was about five in the afternoon when Rikku had awakened. She must have fallen asleep longer than she expected. Stretching from her nap, she sat up and looked down at a white sheet of paper that lay upon the covers. Curious, she picked it up. It was a note.

_Rikku, since I can't talk to you or anything, I thought this would be the only way. Uh, I kinda sensed that you seem mad at me or something, but I just want you know that I'm not going to lose this bet. So even if you're asking me things and I want to answer, I can't...so I hope you understand._

_Anyway, I'm hungry. When are you gonna get up and cook something?_

She laughed at the letter. "Not going to lose the bet, huh? We'll see about that."

Getting up, Rikku looked at herself in the mirror and straightened her disheveled hair. She didn't want to do it, but she didn't have much of a choice.

_This is for my pride. I'm doing this only because I refuse to lose and become his slave!!_

Taking off her shorts, she opted instead for the skirt that her friend had given her. Rikku had never worn the thing because it always made her look too revealing than she wanted to. She blushed as she pulled it on.

_Omigosh...I don't want to do this!! This isn't like me!_

_No. No! Listen, Rikku! This is the only way! It's the only way to get Gippal to lose!_

Rikku nodded at herself in the mirror and decided that what she had on was enough. She kept her tanktop on though. Anything else would have been too obvious.

Entering the kitchen, she saw Gippal seated at the table drinking out of a mug. His eye flickered up to look at her as she walked in. She smiled, heading towards the refrigerator and pulling out food to cook.

Gippal swallowed.

"So...um, I guess it's just us tonight. Chances are that Brother and Pops aren't gonna be eating here today," Rikku spoke sweetly, turning on the stove. She looked over her shoulder at him. He simply nodded, absently staring at her. "And since I'm SO nice, I'm gonna cook something for us. You know, since I'm nice and all and—" she stopped short.

He suddenly cleared his throat, his cheeks a light pink. Getting up, he pointed in her direction.

"Huh? You wanna help?" she asked him, motioning towards the vegetables.

He shook his head and pointed at her.

Rikku frowned. "I don't get it."

Gippal sighed and moved towards her, stopping and pointing down at her skirt. He stood, awaiting her answer.

"Oh...so what? I can wear what I want!" Rikku exclaimed immediately, now feeling very self-conscious that he had openly asked her about it. Err...sorta.

She looked up at him. This time he was nodding, a smirk at his lips.

"Now what are you trying to say?"

He pointed at the skirt again before giving a thumbs up. Rikku felt her face growing warm. She quickly spun around and resumed chopping vegetables, trying to look anywhere but at him.

_Gah! It's not working...he's supposed to say something out of shock or something!_

Gippal remained watching her, simply looking over her shoulder. He raised a hand, ready to tap her, but quickly caught himself. She suddenly turned around and saw his hand in midair. Confused, Rikku just shrugged it off and laughed.

"You were about to touch me, weren't you?"

He shook his head quickly, sighing. She watched as he paced around the kitchen for a moment, running his fingers through his hair from time to time.

"You seem like you're tense or something. Anything I can do for you?" Rikku asked innocently, drying her hands and inspecting him closely.

Gippal stopped for a moment, blinking a few times. He seemed to come back to reality again, but quickly shook his head. She noticed how his gaze seemed to linger on her for a few more unnecessary moments.

_Hm, it seems like I'm getting to him. This is great!_

Rikku could hardly believe that she was actually acting like this. The thought of it and how she was acting towards Gippal was really working, and she was surprised at how quickly he seemed to succumb to her moves. It made her feel odd for a moment, almost ashamed...yet that shame quickly subsided when she remembered that her pride was on the line. Servitude was not an option for her. No way.

Dinner with Gippal was interesting. They were sitting at the table eating, and they didn't speak at all, as expected. Rikku would look across the table at him from time to time and would catch his gaze on her. The moment she looked up though, he always turned away.

As she washed the dishes later that night, another idea came to her mind. It was going to be a bold move on her part, but it was worth a shot.

It was almost midnight. Rikku lay wide-awake on her mattress, hearing Gippal moving around in the next room. She waited until he had switched off the light and she knew that he was already in his bed as well. Standing up, she made her way into the hall and stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath.

Gippal heard the door open and he sat up, propping himself up on his elbows as he saw Rikku's silhouette in the doorway. He opened his mouth, ready to ask but she caused him to pause.

"Gippal...I um...don't get the wrong idea or anything but um..." Rikku began hesitantly, wondering if she really wanted to go through with this. She saw him sit up even more and continued on, finding her courage again. "I um...can I sleep next to you tonight?"

_Omigosh! What am I saying?! I can't believe I'm doing this! If Pops or Brother sees me, I'm dead!_

Although she was screaming in her mind, her face showed no sign of her emotions. She stood waiting for his response, and a part of her was desperately trying to figure out why on Spira she was doing this. In the darkness, she could only see the outlines of Gippal's face, so she had no idea what expression he wore. But at the same time she was glad it was dark. Her face was more than likely bright red at that point.

After what seemed like an eternity to her, he moved and lifted up the blankets.

Rikku stood shocked, realizing that he had agreed. She swallowed hesitantly, before feeling herself slowly moving towards him. Gippal looked up at her and watched as she climbed in.

The warmth from the blankets instantly engulfed her, and Rikku remained motionless beside him. She could feel him just centimeters away from her, yet he still hadn't said a word. She liked to think that it was because of the bet, but why had he let her in so quickly? He hadn't seemed surprised either.

Shifting, she moved so that her head was on the far side of the pillow they were both sharing. Her mind raced, and she could hear her heartbeat as her face remained warm.

_This is all for the sake of the bet. All for the bet. If only he'd turn my way._

They were both lying with their backs facing each other. She clutched the sheets beside her nervously, hoping that morning would come. If she was right, then come morning, Gippal would already lose the bet.

She heard his even breathing fill the room, and it was obvious that he had fallen fast asleep already. Yawning quietly, she too closed her eyes.

_I hope I'm right about this and victory will be mine..._

**End of Chapter 5 **


	6. Day 2

Chapter 6: Day 2

He was warm and comfortable. His body was urging him to continue sleeping, yet his mind was telling him that it was time to get up. Yawning, he tried rolling over but stopped short.

An arm was wrapped loosely around his waist and he could feel a leg tangled in his. Mind racing, Gippal turned around slowly and his face was met with the soft hair of Rikku.

_What...is she doing here?!_

His heartbeat quickened as he felt her move a bit and tighten her hold around him. His back was warm and her body was pressed tightly against his.

_I can't move...I'm too shocked to even think...!_

His first thought was that if Rikku's father or brother were to walk in that door any second, he would be a dead man. The current circumstances were becoming more difficult to comprehend as Gippal turned his head around to look down into her face. She was still sleeping soundly and her head was tucked close to the back of his neck as she gripped his waist tightly.

Gippal's eye widened as she felt her hand move up so that it was resting upon his chest. He was breathing heavily, trying desperately to think of why she was there with him.

_Rikku..._

He suddenly remembered that she had asked to sleep next to him the night before. Now that he had thought of it, why had he agreed to let her in?

A part of him knew that she had something planned and she wanted to test to see if he would try to put moves on her. He grinned to himself. Apparently, she had made the moves on _him_.

Rikku groaned softly and hugged the warm, firm thing that was near her more tightly. She sighed contentedly, enjoying the heat that surrounded her. A gentle movement from underneath her caused her eyes to snap open though.

She was in a bed and the first thing she saw was blond hair. However the thing that caused her heart to stop was that it was not her hair. She was suddenly very awake and she remained still, frozen in shock as she stared in horror at her arm that was wrapped around Gippal.

Eyes wide in alarm, she felt her own leg tangled in one of his from underneath the sheets they were both sharing.

She shut her eyes again in a panic.

_Not good...not good! Ok, calm down, Rikku. Let's think about this. First of all, he doesn't know you're awake yet! Second, if you can just slip away from him, he'll probably never know that you snuggled up to him on your own will! He'll think it was an accident. Right? RIGHT?!!_

_Yes! That's right!_

She loosened her grip from around his waist slowly, and moved herself as if she was just moving so that she was sleeping on her other side. Rikku felt him move from underneath her. Pretending to still be asleep, she untangled her leg from between his and tucked herself slightly away from him so that there was about three inches of air space between them.

_Good job! But...now what?_

For a few agonizing moments, Rikku simply lay there, debating about what to do next. On one hand, she realized that she had still not won the bet. Her plan the night before was that Gippal would awaken with his arms around her. But that plan had failed badly. _She_ was the one who ended up cuddling _him_.

That thought alone caused her cheeks to grow warm. She groaned inwardly.

Realizing that Gippal would probably tease her endlessly after his last day of not speaking to her was over, Rikku wanted to beat him now more than ever. But how?

_I guess I'm lucky that he won't be able to ask me about why I asked to sleep in his bed today. But my time is running out! If I don't find some way to make him lose today, it's over! It'll be "Slave Rikku" for me!_

That thought caused her to stick her tongue out at how dirty it sounded.

She heard a rustling of sheets and felt the bed move a bit. Cracking her eye open slightly, she saw that Gippal had gotten up from the bed and was heading towards the door. From her position, she saw him open the door slightly and peak out into the hallway.

_Huh? What's he doing?_

"Rikku...geez. I hope your dad doesn't catch us like this..." she heard Gippal mumble under his breath. She shut her eyes again right as she saw him turn back around.

Keeping still, Rikku heard him sit down in the chair at her desk. Then, it was silent again.

_Is he just sitting there?_

Deciding that it was time to end her pretending, she began to "wake up."

Gippal blinked as he saw Rikku begin to stir under the covers. He remembered the bet and kept his mouth shut, seeing her sit up.

She glanced up at him briefly before throwing off the covers and sitting on the edge of the bed to face him.

_If I can just play it off as if nothing happened, I'll be ok at least for today..._

"Mornin...I um...I guess I'll see you downstairs!" Rikku greeted him cheerfully, before exiting the room.

Gippal fought off a smile as he watched the girl quickly scramble out of bed and shut the door behind her.

_One more day. One more day, and victory is mine._

Rikku ran into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed and she splashed some cold water on it.

"Argh...what was I thinking?! Sleeping next to him?! I can't believe myself..." Rikku scolded herself in a low voice. She reached up to grab the towel and dried off her face. Going into her closet, she quickly dressed and made sure that her clothing looked presentable this time. She chose her normal shorts and tanktop attire for the day.

Entering the kitchen, she saw that he had still not come down.

_Good. Maybe I can sort out all my jumbled thoughts! Argh! _

Rikku paused, realizing that she always seemed to feel flustered when she was around the young man upstairs. He annoyed the hell out of her. That was for sure. But his nice side always seemed to catch her off-guard.

Shrugging away her thoughts of Gippal, she grabbed the keys from the counter and exited the house. A morning walk. That should do her some good.

_And I'm not ready to face Gippal yet..._

Making her way into the shopping district, she decided to look for a new pair of gloves. The other pair she had bought just recently wasn't enough, and Rikku wanted longer gloves. She nodded politely to the old man sitting at the counter of the first shop she entered.

Walking over to the table, she picked out a nice pair and tried them on, clenching her fingers and inspecting them under the light.

"Those suit you very well."

Rikku paused and turned around at the voice. A young man stood in front of her, smiling kindly. He had spiked brown hair and green eyes; the clearest green color she had ever seen. He was tall and attractive, and even Rikku couldn't help but keep her eyes from looking him quickly up and down. She blushed in embarrassment at herself.

"O-Oh...thanks..." she trailed off hesitantly, hoping that he hadn't caught her staring so openly at him.

He stepped up towards her, peering down at the gloves at her hands. "In fact, they're just perfect on you," the young man smiled again. He seemed to remember his courtesy just as Rikku blinked up at him in confusion. "O-Oh! Where're my manners? I'm Riolen."

"Hi, I'm Rikku," she replied. She smiled at him, shaking his hand. "Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you before," Rikku said.

He nodded. "Yeah, my parents just transferred to this group a few weeks ago. We've been living in the second district," he explained.

"Your parents?" Rikku asked.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sixteen and all, but my parents still insist that I live with them for one more year before I leave," Riolen explained with a chuckle.

Rikku laughed as well. "Geez, if my father made me live with him if I was 17 or 18, I'd leave!" she declared.

He looked down at her. "So how old are you?"

She pulled off the gloves, moving towards the counter to pay for them. "Fifteen."

"Oh, so we're about the same age then," Riolen smiled, following her.

"That'll be 500 Gil," the cashier told Rikku, putting the gloves in a bag.

Rikku reached into her pocket, trying to get the paper Gil. She finally found it and pulled it out, ready to hand it to the cashier. Looking up, she saw Riolen dropping 500 Gil into the palm of the cashier. He smiled down at her.

"It's no problem. Think of it as a "first meeting" present," he laughed, eyes sparkling under the low light.

"Aw, you don't have to do that! I um...at least let me repay you somehow!" Rikku exclaimed, feeling guilty all of a sudden.

Riolen held the door open for her as they both exited the shop. "You don't need to do that. I wanted to," he assured her with a kind smile.

Rikku felt herself blushing at his kindness. "I um...thanks, Riolen."

"No problem," he replied. Rikku began to head in the direction of the residential area. "So are you heading home now?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I have some things to do at home," Rikku replied, remembering her bet with Gippal.

Riolen easily fell into step next to her. "Let me walk you home then. I don't have much else to do, and I'm heading in that direction anyway," he offered with a smile.

Rikku smiled. "Sure."

The short walk back to the residential area was full of idle chatter and small jokes. Rikku was surprised at how kind Riolen was. It had been some time since she had met a boy who was as nice as him. All other guys seemed to be either jerks or just someone she wasn't attracted to.

Then there was Gippal.

Rikku paused in mid-thought, wondering why his face suddenly appeared in her mind.

"This is my house," she replied as they stopped in front.

"Wow, your parents must be rich," Riolen laughed, looking up at the tall house.

Rikku scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Nah, not really."

"Really? Who's your father?" he asked curiously.

"Er...Cid."

Riolen's eyes grew large. "Wow, really?! THE Cid? That's awesome!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Rikku stood smiling hesitantly, knowing that everyone reacted that way whenever they found out that Cid was her dad.

Riolen smiled down at her, reaching down to pick up her hand. Her eyes widened as he raised her hand to his lips. "Here's to meeting you, m'lady. I hope we see each other again."

They both looked up as the front door to the house suddenly opened. Rikku froze, seeing Gippal standing at the entrance. He stood for a few more seconds before heading towards them.

Rikku felt her mouth growing dry, and she felt her face becoming warmer and warmer as he neared them.

Gippal stopped and looked back and forth between the two of them, before his eyes rested on Rikku. She smiled nervously.

"Oh, Riolen. This is my friend, Gippal. He's living with me for the summer." Rikku mentally slapped herself for how that came out.

_Idiot! 'Living with me for the summer?!!' Why did I say it like that?!!_

"Nice to meet you, Gippal," Riolen spoke up, extending a hand. The two of them shook hands.

Rikku glanced up at Gippal's face, noting how stern it looked.

_He seems mad about something. Is it because of this morning when I left? Or maybe last night?_

"Well, Rikku. I'll be heading off now. It was a pleasure meeting you," Riolen said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.

She smiled. "Oh, right! Same here, Riolen! Thanks again for the gloves!"

Gippal glanced down at the bag in her hands. He frowned.

Rikku waved one last time before Riolen's form had disappeared around the corner. She turned around ready to head into the house, but was stopped by the troubled look on Gippal's face.

"Are you...okay?" she asked, even if she knew that he wasn't going to respond.

He simply pointed down at the bag in her hand.

"This? It's uh...Riolen bought them for me," Rikku explained nervously.

_Wait, why do I need to explain myself to Gippal?! It's none of his business!_

He didn't say anything after that and neither did she. Without another word, Rikku headed back into the house, leaving Gippal alone in the front yard.

xxx

That night, Rikku lay awake on the mattress in her own room. There was no doubt about it. Gippal was mad at her. After she had come back from the shop that morning, she tried every trick she could to get Gippal to lose the bet. But...to no avail. Gippal just didn't seem to listen or react to her moves on him.

She turned on her side.

_Grrr! It makes me so mad...but it's too late now. He's mad at me, so he's really not going to want to talk or be near me anyway. _

Preparing to face her loss in the next few hours when morning came, Rikku groaned.

xxx

The morning sunlight was hot against her face, and it was enough to jar her out of her sleep. She shifted her body with a sigh, cracking her eyes open slowly. They snapped open suddenly.

"What...are you doing in here?!" Rikku exclaimed upon seeing Gippal seated on the floor beside her mattress.

"Just makin' sure you live up to your side of the bargain," Gippal spoke, smirking.

She groaned, putting her head under her pillow. "Ok! Ok! You win! But what makes you so sure that I'll actually become your slave?!" Rikku spoke out to him. Her voice sounded muffled.

Gippal grabbed the pillow from her head and laughed. "That's right. I won. No cheats or anything. Now...turn around and face me."

Rikku remained motionless as she stayed on her stomach, her face away from him. "Argh...isn't your victory enough? Now you gotta embarrass me some more?"

He laughed again. "You know, I kinda missed annoying the hell outta you like this!"

"Funny," she spat out, finally turning herself over.

"Yup. You're right. It IS funny that I ended up winning," Gippal laughed again, hauling himself up on his feet. He opened the door to her room and smiled at her before leaving. "Meet me downstairs soon. I have some orders for you."

Rikku sat up, crossing her arms defiantly. "Yeah right!"

She watched as he shut the door and in for a lack of nothing else to do, she flopped back down on her back. For some reason her mind strayed off to think of Riolen. She couldn't help but compare him to Gippal. She looked at the new gloves he had bought for her that were on the table.

_If Gippal was like that, we would probably get along better. But noooo...he had to be a jerk._

Rikku sighed, deciding that now was not the time to be thinking about guys. She would probably never understand them anyway.

A few minutes later she headed downstairs and into the living room. Even from the top of the staircase, she could see Gippal waiting for her. Rikku studied him. He seemed so serious now.

"Hm...what's with you all of a sudden?" she asked, a hand on her hip. "I'm the one who's supposed to be sad here!"

Gippal looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, who was guy from yesterday anyway? Rio...uh..." he trailed off, scratching the back of his head. His question surprised her. She was expecting him to say something else.

Rikku rolled her eyes. "You mean Riolen?"

He nodded.

"He was just a guy I met at the shop," she shrugged, heading towards the chair. His eyes followed her as she sat down. "He was nice though. Bought me these gloves," Rikku explained, holding her arms up.

Gippal walked over to her, running a hand quickly through his hair. "And you just met?"

Rikku looked up at him, nodding. "Yeah, it was strange that he bought 'em for me and everything, but he's a really nice guy." She paused, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know anyway?"

He turned around, shaking his head. "Nothing, no reason. Just curious, I guess." He faced her again, a smirk on his face. "You guys just seemed so close or something..." he trailed off.

She stood, beginning to blush. "S-So what if we were? It doesn't mean I like him or anything!" Rikku listened to herself, wondering why she was purposely trying to make him jealous.

_Argh...what's wrong with me?!_

"Oh really?" Gippal said. He stopped in front of her, his face lowering dangerously close to hers. She tried to keep herself from turning her face away in embarrassment. "So who do you like then, Rikku?" he whispered teasingly.

Her eyes widened and she pushed him away, suddenly remembering how she eavesdropped on Gippal and that girl talking about who Gippal liked. "N-None of your business!" she stuck her tongue out at him.

Gippal raised his eyebrows at her response. "So you do like someone, don't you? Anyone I know?" he chuckled.

Rikku began to walk towards the kitchen, ignoring his question.

"Your first order is to tell me," he called out with a laugh, enjoying her reaction towards him. He followed after her.

"Go away!" she responded.

As Gippal entered, he saw her at the stove, beginning to make breakfast. He seated himself at the table and leaned back in the chair, watching her. "Then answer me this, Rikku."

She paused for a moment and he smiled.

"Is it me?"

Rikku froze and she spun around to face him, her face bright red.

**End of Chapter 6**

A/N: Oooh, sorry to end it there! See you in Chapter 7!


	7. Freedom

Chapter 7: Freedom

He smirked, standing up. "C'mon. You can tell me the truth, y'know."

Rikku threw the dishtowel at him, her face bright red. "W-What are you saying?!"

Gippal smiled, moving over to stand in front of her and blocking off her only way of escape. She looked up at him. "Hm...then why did you ask to sleep with me last night?"

They both paused at the way the words sounded. "I uh...I meant sleep next to me..." Gippal caught himself, his cheeks slightly pink.

"It was for the bet! I was trying to test you!" Rikku replied in embarrassment, trying to move around him. He cut off her path again, smirking.

"Test me?" he laughed. "For what?"

She was about to respond but his voice cut her off.

"Oh, I get it now." He leaned in closer to her, causing Rikku to lean slightly away from him. Her reaction caused Gippal to smile. "You wanted to see if I'd make a move on you so I could lose the bet, didn't you?"

Rikku suddenly straightened up, moving her face closer to his this time. "_Did_ you want me to put moves on you?" she asked teasingly.

_Oooh, I got him on that one._

He smirked at her response, moving his face even closer. "I wasn't the one who ended up putting _moves_ on anyone."

She blinked and pushed him aside, moving past him and knowing damn well exactly what he meant. However, she wasn't about to let _him_ know that.

"What do you mean by that?!" Rikku demanded instead.

_Bad, bad comeback! But...what else can I say?!!_

Angry at herself, she stood, awaiting his answer. Gippal paced back and forth in front of her, a hand on his chin. He was smiling.

"Rikku, you had your body pressed against me the entire night."

He said it so simply, and Rikku had to keep herself from dying right then and there. She opened her mouth ready to deny it, but was stopped short.

"What's this about a body being pressed?" Cid's voice suddenly spoke up, entering the kitchen. Rikku and Gippal's gazes flew to the man and they promptly shut their mouths. Gippal backed away from the sink and Rikku headed towards the refrigerator.

"Ahahaha...nothin' Pops! It was nothin'!" Rikku responded, burying her head into the coldness of the refrigerator. A celery stick was directly in front of her face.

"Oh yeah?" Cid began, sitting down at the chair and looking at the two of them. He grabbed a piece of the toast, munching thoughtfully. "Didn't sound like 'nothin' to me. Sounds like you two are hidin' something!"

"Who's hiding?" Brother's accent-filled voice asked. He had just sat down at the table next to Cid.

"Sounds like these two are pressing bodies or something..." Cid mumbled, tinkering with a piece of a machina part. He reached over to take his mug.

Brother blinked, his eyes immediately flying to Gippal. "Which body are you pressing, kid?!" he demanded, causing Gippal's face to go red. Brother suddenly went quiet, his eyes slowly drifting towards his sister.

Rikku still had her head in the refrigerator, hoping that the coldness would cool down her flaming face. She turned around just as she saw Brother's hands reach over to come around Gippal's neck.

"Let go of him, Brother!" she exclaimed immediately, rushing to move between the two of them. Gippal was fighting to keep a smile off his face and Brother had flames in his eyes. Cid remained at the table, sipping his coffee.

"What are the two of you doing, Rikku?!!" Brother demanded, letting go of Gippal for the time being. She immediately took hold of Gippal's arm and began pulling him. He went along with her.

"It's none of your business!" she replied, dragging Gippal behind her. Rikku turned to her father. "We'll be back!"

Gippal looked down at Rikku's hand that was clamped firmly around his arm. He smirked.

"Be back in two hours. We're leaving for the dive then," Cid simply replied, standing up to get more coffee. He turned to his son. "And you, go get ready and leave the kids alone."

Brother stared at Cid with his mouth open before stomping his foot and heading out of the kitchen.

Rikku pulled Gippal out the front door and shut it behind her, leaning heavily against it with a sigh. Gippal looked up at her from his position at the bottom steps.

"Like I said, is it always that exciting in the mornings around here?" he laughed.

"Only when you're involved," she giggled as well, heading down the steps towards him.

Gippal stood for a moment and watched as she came down to meet him, noting how the early morning sun made her hair shimmer. She looked up at him.

"Something the matter?" she asked in confusion.

He blinked as her green eyes regarded him curiously. "Uh...n-no."

_What's wrong with me... I was staring at her...Cid's Girl?!_

Shaking his head, he turned to Rikku again, determined to get the answer he wanted. "So..." he began, causing her to look at him. "...like I was saying earlier, you cuddled up to me."

"Argh...are we back to _that_ again? I thought we were done with that!"

"Nope, I want to know," Gippal answered, walking in circles around her.

Rikku groaned, letting her hands fall a bit to the side.

_Hm, there might be a way I can get back at him for winning the bet. Pride, there's still hope for you!_

She turned fully to him and smiled. He stopped walking.

"So what if I did?"

He blinked. "Wh-What?"

_Oooh, good reaction._

"You heard me. What if I really planned to snuggle up to you like that? Then what?" Rikku asked again, her voice teasing.

Gippal smirked and walked up to her. "Then I'd just have more reason to think that you like me," he whispered lowly, his lips hovering near hers.

She was about to reply, when a sound caused them both to pull away from each other.

"Uh...Rikku?"

She turned towards the front gate and saw Riolen, smiling at her. He approached them, bowing a bit. He raised an eyebrow and laughed nervously. "Am I um...interrupting something?"

Rikku spun away from Gippal in embarrassment, hoping that Riolen hadn't seen anything. "Ah, no...actually um...you weren't," she replied, reaching up to brush her bangs to the side.

Riolen looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment before his eyes rested back on Rikku.

"Oh, good," he smiled, glancing at Gippal. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to breakfast with me, Rikku."

She felt herself blushing under his intense gaze. "O-Oh...right now? I-I mean um...sure..."

"Great," Riolen smiled.

Rikku paused and turned around. "Gippal, I um..."

"Go ahead. I've gotta get ready for the mission anyway," he cut her off suddenly, turning around towards the house again.

"Okay...I guess I'll see you later then," Rikku called after him, seeing how he had avoided her eyes.

"Whenever," Gippal said flatly.

His response caused her to pause in her steps.

_What...what was that feeling just now? I'm just going out for breakfast! Jeez!_

"Ready to go, Rikku?" Riolen spoke up, holding the gate open to her.

She smiled slowly. "Sure."

xxx

The breakfast was a small one, and Riolen had taken her down to the café for the morning. They talked about little things such as the summer, what her mission was going to be later on, and a bit about Riolen's family.

Rikku couldn't help but lose herself in his green eyes. Every time their eyes would meet, she would find herself staring endlessly at them, but promptly tear her gaze away for feeling bad.

About twenty minutes into breakfast, Rikku realized with confusion that she was thinking of Gippal the entire time. She felt bad for staring so intently at Riolen because of Gippal.

_But why? The only reason that would be is if I...if I...oh._

_No way. There's just no way that can be._

They had arrived back at Rikku's house about half an hour later. For some reason she was dreading going back. The way Gippal had looked before she had left and the way he had sounded made her feel awful.

_Why should I? He deserves it..._

"That was a great breakfast, Rikku," Riolen laughed quietly, reaching for her hand. She smiled up at him and watched as he brought it to his lips again.

"Yeah, thanks again for inviting me out and all."

Riolen nodded, heading out towards the gate. "It was really a pleasure, Rikku. We should do it again sometime."

She said nothing, but waved.

_Wait...does he mean on a date?!_

"U-Um like a date?" Rikku asked.

_GOOD one! Now you really look stupid! Wonderful._

Riolen laughed, smiling at her from behind the gate. "Sure! If that's what you want to call it!"

She blushed. "I um...I'll think about it..."

"Great, so let's just make this "date" on Friday then? How does 8 sound?" Riolen asked.

Rikku paused, debating with herself. Why shouldn't she say yes to him? On one hand, there was no denying that Rikku thought he was a sweet guy. Second, nothing was stopping her from saying yes. Right? RIGHT...?

"Sounds good," she answered simply.

_Then why do I feel so bad?_

"See you then," Riolen smiled, walking away, the sun making his brown hair shine.

Rikku stood for a few more minutes. She sighed and entered the house.

"Your dad already left," Gippal's voice startled her. He was sitting on one of the metal chairs in the living room and had stood up right as she had entered.

"Gippal? Um...how long have you been sitting there?" she asked.

"Not too long. Just saw you and that Rulin guy," he responded, waving a hand in the air.

"Riolen," she corrected, rolling her eyes. "What'd my dad say?"

"Said for us to meet him later when he calls. The machina is ready to use underwater today," Gippal explained, sitting down.

"Finally," Rikku sighed, moving to the closet and opening it. His gaze followed her.

"Had fun?" he asked slowly.

She turned to face him. "Why do you want to know?"

He shrugged. "No reason."

Rikku shut the closet, facing him with her hands on her hips. "Alright, what's the matter."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"Something's wrong," she replied.

"You're imagining things," he sighed.

"No, I'm not. You've been like this ever since this morning when Riolen came. I think something's buggin ya..." Rikku answered back, moving closer to him.

Gippal chuckled. "Don't forget, Rikku. You're still my slave, remember?"

She blinked. "And?"

"And...that means I can tell you what to do and you have to do it," Gippal smirked, seeming to return to his old self.

"Doesn't mean that I will!" Rikku replied quickly.

"Ok, I'll make a deal with you then."

She looked up, suddenly very interested. "What is it...?"

He stuck out a gloved hand to her. "You're going to answer this truthfully and...I'll call off the whole servant thing."

"Deal," Rikku replied in a second, grabbing his hand.

He smiled, shaking hands with her. When they let go, he crossed his arms.

"Do you like that Riolen guy?"

She blinked, feeling the blood rushing up to her face.

"Remember, you gotta tell the truth, or I'll know you're lying."

"How would you know?!" she demanded.

He smirked. "Trust me, I know these things," Gippal replied cockily.

"And you'll call off the whole servant thing?" she asked.

"Yup."

Rikku stood for a moment, not really needing to think about it. The answer was obvious to her.

"No, I don't."

Gippal uncrossed his arms and blinked. "You're lying..."

"No, I'm not, Gippal! If I say I don't like the guy, then I don't! Really." Rikku said. She realized for the first time that she didn't. Sure she was attracted to Riolen, but to like him was a completely different feeling. And in Riolen's case, the feeling of like just wasn't there.

"Ok. That's all I wanted to know," Gippal smirked.

"Why'd you want to know anyway? Trying to use it against me or something?" Rikku rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm too nice to do something like that," Gippal replied with a wink, moving towards her.

She shook her head, realizing that it was just no use. "Sure thing..." Her words trailed off as she felt one of Gippal's fingers brush the side of her face. She froze and hesitantly raised her eyes to meet his.

"It would've been great too...having you all to myself..." he said quietly. He smirked and backed away. "It would've been great to have you in the whole maid thing too!" he laughed.

Rikku shot him a glare. "Shut up! I hate you!" she stuck a tongue out at him.

"No you don't. You just hate it when I prove you wrong. Otherwise, you don't hate _me_." He said the last word teasingly, and reached towards her again.

She moved his hand away from her and headed upstairs to grab her stuff. "Are we leavin' or not?!"

He chuckled, suddenly feeling much better. "Ready to go."

**End of Chapter 7**


	8. Night in Town

A/N: Here you go! Chapter 8 is here! Enjoy it!

**Chapter 8: Night in Town**

"Where to, Miss?" the pilot asked as she came into view.

"Where my dad is. I have a mission today," Rikku explained, smiling at the pilot as she entered the ship.

"And the young man?" the pilot asked with a short nod of his head.

"He's with me," Rikku replied. She turned as Gippal entered the ship right behind her.

In a moment, the airship roared to life and lifted up into the air. Rikku sat down in the seat next to the window as Gippal took the one directly across from her. She glanced at him and saw that he was looking at her. His gaze immediately turned away right as she looked at him.

"...What?" she asked him self-consciously.

He turned to her and smirked. "Huh?"

"You were staring," Rikku said in embarrassment, turning to look out the window.

"You're imagining things," Gippal replied with a laugh. She faced him again, sticking her tongue out.

"So..."

She looked up as he began speaking again.

"...Uh...when are we gettin back?" he asked, leaning back in the seat comfortably. He had his legs stretched out so that they were just next to her own.

Rikku shrugged. "Usually doesn't take more than a day. We should be back in time for tomorrow."

"In time for what?" he asked curiously.

She paused.

_Oh yeah. I haven't told him about my "date" with Riolen tomorrow. Besides, I...don't even like Riolen anyway. He's just a nice guy, but...hm. Maybe I shouldn't go tomorrow after all..._

"I um...it's nothing. Changed my mind," Rikku mumbled, more to herself than to him.

He leaned forward a little towards her. "What, you had something else planned tomorrow or somethin?" Gippal continued.

She shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't think I'm gonna go anymore."

"Yeah? What were you going to do?" he asked some more.

_He's asking too many questions. It's actually kinda funny._

Rikku sighed, reaching up to brush her hair back. "Eh, it's just that Riolen asked me out for tomorrow night and I said yes, but I—"

"I thought you didn't like him," Gippal interrupted with his eyebrow raised.

"I know but...I just don't wanna leave him like that, y'know?" Rikku explained, suddenly feeling very guilty with herself.

"Seems to me like you do like him," Gippal said after a while. He looked at her, awaiting her response.

Her eyes flew to him. "I don't like him. Okay?" she said defensively.

He laughed a bit. "Whatever you say."

Rikku leaned towards him, her mouth slightly turned up in amusement. "Hey...why are you always askin' me about who I like? How about this...who do YOU like Gippal?" she teased, remembering how she had eavesdropped on him and that other girl in the alley.

He turned to face her suddenly, as if he was shocked. Or maybe it was her mind thinking he was shocked.

"It's a secret. Ssshh," he winked.

"Hey! That's not fair! I told you who I liked!" She immediately put a hand to her mouth and realized her mistake too late. "I um...I mean..."

He leaned on his knees towards her, smile playing about his lips. "Actually, Rikku. You haven't. Buuut, since you mentioned it now, who DO you like?"

_Idiot! Why'd I let something slip out like that!? How can I forget that I haven't told him anything?! _

"It's a secret," she stuck her tongue out at him. Gippal laughed, standing up from his seat and moving so that he was sitting beside her. He leaned in.

"That's cute...but...how about a little deal?" he asked quietly, causing Rikku to shift just a bit away from him. She could feel the heat from his body. "You tell me who you like, and...I'll tell you who I like," he smiled.

Her heart was racing at how close he was to her. "N-No way! Are you crazy?!" She turned to look out the window and crossed her arms tightly.

Gippal tilted his head, trying to look into her face. "What are you afraid of, Cid's Girl?" he teased.

She stood up suddenly. In a step, she was sitting in the seat across from him. "You're irritating," Rikku said simply, avoiding his intense gaze.

"Oh c'mon. It's not like I'd tell anyone who you like." He paused for a moment, looking down at his boots. "I'll be telling you who I like too, so it'd be fair, right?" he looked up at her with a smirk.

Rikku sat motionless, completely stunned by his words. She began to feel dizzy all of a sudden as her mind tried to understand what he was saying. Nervously, she began playing with the fabric of her shorts, looking down the entire time.

"Hey Gippal...do I know this girl that you like?"

Their eyes met, and in that split second, Rikku began to feel her pulse quicken again. He smiled as he turned his gaze to look out the window.

"You could say that, yeah..." he said quietly.

She paused for a moment, taking a short breath. The soft hum of the engines filled the room. Outside, Rikku could see the Moonflow and the machina that had been set up for the mission that day. Her eyes turned to look at Gippal's face.

"I um..."

"We're here," the pilot's voice interrupted suddenly. Rikku shut her mouth and avoided Gippal's questioning eyes as she stood up from her seat. Without another word, they gathered their bags and stood up.

xxx

"Took you two long enough!" Cid exclaimed as they trotted up to meet the older man.

"Sorry Pops! I thought you said I had two hours!"

Cid raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. Where did you go anyway?" he asked, pulling off his diving suit.

Rikku laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head, avoiding Gippal's gaze. "Nowhere, Pops! It was really nothing!"

He bent down and grabbed the bag next to him. "Hm...well, enough talk. Get your suit on and get the machina started!" her dad replied, changing the subject.

"Roger!" Rikku answered with a nod. She was glad that her dad didn't ask her anything else. The last thing she wanted was to be talking to her dad about guys.

She removed her item belt and her boots. Gippal stood off to the side, regarding her with his head tilted curiously. He looked up as Cid called his name.

"Gippal?"

"Sir!" he answered.

Cid handed him a suit. "You're going in with her. If anything were to happen down there, you be sure to help out. I'll be monitoring you two from up here too, so don't worry much either," he explained.

Gippal nodded, pulling on the suit quickly. "I understand."

Rikku looked up as Gippal stopped beside her, dressed in a full diving suit.

"Huh? You comin' with me?" she asked curiously, glancing in her father's direction.

"Yeah. Cid's orders," Gippal responded with a wink.

She groaned openly, causing him to laugh aloud.

"What's wrong? Don't want to spend some time alone with me or anything?" he asked with a chuckle. Moving over to her, he lazily draped an arm across her shoulders.

Rikku brushed him away, causing him to grin wider. "Let's just get this over with!" she replied with a huff, zipping up the rest of her suit. He trailed behind her.

The machina was partly submerged in the water and Gippal had begun to climb down into the open chamber.

"Hold it! I'm climbing in first!" Rikku suddenly said, rushing past him.

He crossed his arms, a grin on his face. "Worried I'll see something if you came in last? I thought we were past all this," he laughed.

"What? We're never gonna be past anything!" Rikku replied back.

"Oh really?" he asked quietly, keeping his voice down so no one would hear them. "Why is that Rikku? What makes you think I'd actually look up and get a great view of your ass or something?"

She felt her cheeks warm up and turned away from him suddenly. "'C-cause you're a pervert...!"

He laughed loudly this time, clutching his sides as he almost fell over. She spun around and gaped at him.

"Wh-What's so funny?!"

Straightening up again, Gippal smirked at her. "You are," he chuckled. "Sometimes I wish you were always there to make me laugh like this!"

Rikku paused at his words. She could only laugh slowly in response. Gippal on the other hand, didn't seem to notice anything wrong.

"After you," he said suddenly, motioning towards the open hatch.

She blinked. "Huh?"

"Go ahead. Get in first."

"O-Oh yeah! Alright..." Rikku agreed in embarrassment. He stepped aside as she climbed in.

The hatch closed and they were slowly lowered down into the water.

xxx

"Not bad, Rikku," Cid greeted with a short smile.

The dive had lasted only fifteen minutes, a time that shocked even Rikku. Since the machina had been functioning perfectly, the entire mission had ended quite successfully.

She beamed. "Thanks, Pops!"

Gippal climbed out shortly behind her shaking his wet hair out and running a hand quickly through it. He stopped beside her.

"Anything go wrong down there?" Cid asked the two of them.

They both shook their heads. "Nope."

"Good! At least I know that you're able to handle the underwater missions. We've got a lot of old machina that we need to dig out from under there, and that one you used today is going to be big in helping out. That's going to be your duty from now on," Cid informed Rikku.

She put a hand on her hip, feeling very good about herself. "Alright, I guess I can handle that!" she smiled. Rikku glanced at Gippal and he gave her a thumbs up.

xxx

"Man, am I glad to be back home!"

Gippal regarded her with his eyebrow raised. "But we were just here the other day," he chuckled.

Rikku grinned. "Yeah, but sleeping on that hard airship bed was horrible! With all those guys around too!" she made a face, sticking her tongue out.

He laughed, dropping their bags on the floor. Rikku went over and flipped a switch, making the living room light up.

It was a little bit past 7 in the evening, and Cid had let them both return back home before him. Brother and Cid remained at the Moonflow to gather up any remaining men and move the rest of the machina. They had informed Rikku that they would be coming back home on Sunday.

Rikku went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, feeling extremely thirsty. Gippal trailed behind her and leaned against the doorframe in silence. She drank quietly, feeling his eyes on her. The only sound in the room was the gentle ticking of the nearby clock.

"What...?" she asked finally, tipping the water away from her lips.

He pushed himself off the wall and sat down at the table. A smile played about his lips and he had his arms resting on his knees.

"I realized that it's just the two of us tonight."

She almost choked on the water she had begun to drink again. Suddenly feeling nervous, she blinked at him. "Yeah...so?"

He chuckled, standing up from the seat. "Sooo...I was thinkin' that you and I should go out and do somethin.' You know, I've been here for a while now, and you still haven't taken me to do something fun," he suggested with a wink.

Rikku put the cap on the bottle and shut the refrigerator door.

_Oh no. I'm supposed to meet Riolen in an hour tonight too! If me and Gippal go out to town tonight, Riolen might see us! What then?!!_

The risk was just too large for her, and she found herself torn between two things. If she went out with Riolen, it would make Gippal think that she liked him. But that just wasn't true. If she went out with Gippal...then...

"C'mon, it's not like you have any other plans, right? You said you changed your mind," Gippal spoke up, interrupting her thoughts. She knew that he meant, "changed her mind" about Riolen. He flashed her a grin and began dragging her out of the kitchen towards the front door.

She drug her heels. "I know...but...! I um...I don't think it's a good idea for us to go out like this...Riolen might see us and—"

He stopped pulling on her for a moment and paused. "So what? It's not like he owns you or anything. Besides, you don't like him anyway."

Rikku felt his grip around her hand loosening and she nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah, I know. I just don't want him askin' me why I changed my mind. It'll just seem weird if he sees me with you instead..." The last sentence came out quietly, and she began to feel herself blushing again.

_Geez! I blush WAY too much! _

At that, Gippal reached down to grab her hand again, pulling open the front door into the warm night air. "Just tell him the truth then," Gippal spoke up. She looked up at him in confusion.

"What truth?"

He laughed. "The truth. You know, that we're going out."

She pulled herself out of his grasp and felt her face burning. "Forget it! I'm not going with you!"

Gippal was laughing. However, his chuckles quieted down as he saw the expression on her face. "Hey, hey! I'm kidding! It's a joke! C'mon...just for tonight, let's have some fun!" He began pulling her again, and Rikku said nothing, mentally cursing the blond next to her.

They reached the town plaza. Around them, people bustled here and there, the blur of people rushing everywhere was common in that area. Gippal finally let go of her hand. He had been holding it firmly in his during the short ten-minute walk, but it made Rikku's heart race during the entire time nonetheless.

She crossed her arms and looked around them, suddenly feeling very, very bad.

_This is bad. I shouldn't be out here with Gippal. Even worse, Riolen's probably gonna stop by the house and realize that I'm not home. Omigosh! I'm going to stand him up tonight! I've never done something like that before...!_

Feeling awful with herself and mentally scolding her passive nature at immediately agreeing to everything Gippal said, Rikku checked her watch. It was fifteen minutes before 8 PM.

"Man, I'm starved," Gippal suddenly said, holding his stomach.

She looked at him. "Yeah..."

Gippal looked at her strangely and noticed her removed nature. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Huh? Nah...it's nothing," Rikku replied distantly. She shook her head firmly, trying to focus on the task at hand. "Let's just hurry, ok?"

He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "Sure, that's alright with me."

They began walking across the plaza and towards the dining building. Rikku found herself walking a bit away from Gippal. He glanced sideways at her, noticing how far she was walking from him. She wasn't looking at him, and he frowned.

He was about to open her mouth to say something, when he suddenly felt her hands grip his arm tightly.

"Omigosh, it's him! Gippal, come here for a minute...!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

She pulled him by the arm and he followed her as she led them behind a machina hidden deep in shadows. He still felt her grip around him as she peaked around to look in the direction of the plaza. His gaze drifted over to where she was looking as well and he immediately recognized Riolen.

He was walking in the direction of the residential area, no doubt going to pick up Rikku. Gippal still felt her clutching his sleeve and he glanced at her.

She sighed softly and loosened her grip after a few more seconds. In the darkness, he could see that she looked relieved after Riolen had passed by. He couldn't help but smile to himself.

"Um...ok. Let's go now..." Rikku whispered to him. He nodded slowly.

"You...ok now?" he asked her as they stepped back out onto the sidewalk.

She nodded, looking down at her boots. "Yeah, but I feel really bad now. I never should have agreed to go with him tonight in the first place..."

Gippal reached down to pull her again. They began walking. "I know, but who are you with now?" he asked quietly.

Rikku looked down at their joined hands as they walked towards the restaurants. His grip was warm as they continued to make their way past the crowds of people.

_You, Gippal._

**End of Chapter 8**

A/N: Thanks so much for your wonderful reviews, everyone! I hope you liked this chapter, and I promise that it only gets better in the next one! See you there.


	9. Jumbled Emotions

A/N: And now, Chapter 9 is here. Enjoy it everyone, and thanks again for all your great reviews!

**Chapter 9: Jumbled Emotions**

"You're quiet...something the matter?"

She shook her head at the question, focusing instead on her food. "N-no, I'm alright," she smiled.

They had chosen to eat at the popular pizza restaurant at the corner of the plaza, and it was just a bit past 8:00. The two of them sat underneath a fairly low light, silence hanging heavily in the air. Around them, people were chatting quietly amongst themselves. The entire restaurant was filled with excitement...except for their corner.

The waiter returned with the bill and placed it at the end of the table. Rikku glanced up at Gippal after a few seconds, suddenly remembering something.

_Oh great...just wonderful._

"Don't get mad at me for this, but um...I kinda left my Gil at home so this is..." she began. He looked up at her from across the table.

"Oh yeah?" he chuckled, reaching into his own pocket. She watched as he put down the amount on the table. "Don't worry 'bout it," he winked.

"B-But I...that's um..."

"I invited you out here, so it's alright." Rikku saw him rest his chin in his palm and watched her curiously.

She nodded absent-mindedly and returned his smile.

_Strange...it's not like him to be so nice..._

"Ready to go?" he asked after she was completely finished. She set her drink down and nodded, standing from the seat. "Yup, ready."

They exited the restaurant and into the warm evening air. The sky was clear and brightly lit with stars as they made their way across the plaza. A few people were still walking about here and there, but most had returned home for the night.

"Man, I'm stuffed...that pizza was really good," Gippal laughed.

"Yeah, it's my favorite," Rikku agreed. She glanced in his direction and he sent her a smile.

They continued walking, a calm silence passing over them for a moment.

"Soo...uh...got any plans for tomorrow?" he asked after a while.

She shook her head. "I don't think so. Since Pops won't be home yet, I don't have any missions or anything." She sighed in relief. "I'm kinda glad though."

"Yeah..." he agreed quietly.

Another wave of silence washed over them. Rikku couldn't help but feel strangely awkward at the conversation they were having. He seemed so...nice that night. She was about to open her mouth to say something, but stifled a gasp as he firmly led her away from the sidewalk.

"Gippal, what—"

"Sshh. He'll hear you."

Rikku looked around him and into the plaza. They were both standing pressed against a wall in the nearby alley that he had brought them to. Gippal had her hand clutched in his as he peered out.

From her position behind him, she could see Riolen out in the plaza.

"What! What's he doing here again!" Rikku whispered in alarm. She felt his hold on her hand tighten and he leaned in towards her.

"We're not gonna get caught this time either, so don't worry," he whispered back.

She watched as Riolen continued on, and Rikku couldn't help but hold her breath at her nervousness. Gippal remained steady as they watched.

"Whew...that was a close one..." he said after they had stepped back onto the sidewalk again.

"Oooh! You could have warned me y'know! Instead of just grabbing me like that," Rikku hissed at him. She tried to calm her beating heart.

He smirked, the moonlight making shadows across his face and his eye sparkled. "What...you don't like me grabbing you?" He moved closer to her.

She blushed. "I just don't like it when people do that all of a sudden!"

Gippal laughed quietly. "So you're saying that you're mad because I grabbed you. And not because we almost ran into that Riolen guy...right?"

"What! O-Of course I'm mad at you! Riolen has nothing to do with this!" Rikku exclaimed suddenly. She couldn't understand why she seemed so angry all of a sudden. He smirked again.

"Ok...I'm sorry alright? Forgive me now?"

She glanced at him, ready to reply, when she saw a shadow move behind him.

"Rikku...?" the voice spoke up.

Gippal turned around as Rikku stepped up in front of him.

"Oh, Riolen! Hi..." she greeted him, feeling very embarrassed. Her worst fear that night had hit them right in the face. Gippal frowned slowly, feeling his muscles tense. He glanced over at Rikku. She was smiling at Riolen, and he couldn't help but arch one eyebrow in suspicion.

"Hey, Rikku. Um...I stopped by your house earlier," Riolen said. His eyes rested on Gippal for a moment before looking back at her. "But no one was home," he chuckled a bit.

"Ahaha...well um...I kinda couldn't make it tonight and I..." Rikku began. She trailed off as Gippal stepped up beside her.

"Sorry 'bout that. We just got back home a while ago, and I guess she forgot," Gippal told him coolly.

Riolen turned to Gippal. "Oh, I see...well, I guess that's what happened then," he shrugged with a smile. He looked at Rikku. "So what brings you two out here tonight?" he asked afterwards.

Rikku froze, desperately trying to figure out what to tell him. "W-well, we, uh..." she turned to Gippal for any help, but he simply stood beside her with a stoic look on his face. She swallowed and continued on. "...we um, didn't have any food at home, so we decided to eat out..." she explained.

_Omigosh! What am I SAYING! I'm pretty much telling him that I chose to go with Gippal instead of him! I'm such a huge idiot!_

She cleared her throat, glancing at Gippal again. His gaze met hers for a moment but he quickly looked away.

"Ah, I see," Riolen said after some time. He chuckled softly. "Well, I guess if you're hungry, then you're hungry, right?" he laughed.

Rikku smiled as well, nodding. "Hehe, y-yeah."

"Well then. Maybe we can go out some other time?" Riolen suggested.

She looked down at her boots, clasping her hands in front of her.

_This is not good! I can't just say "no" right here...!_

"Sorry, but we have to get goin' now. She's a bit tired from today. Hope you understand," Gippal said suddenly. He reached down to grasp her hand in his.

Riolen looked down at their hands with interest. "Yeah, you're...probably right. My apologies for everything, Rikku." He smiled weakly.

"No, Riolen. That's alright..." she began. Gippal had already started to walk and he pulled her after him. She looked over her shoulder at Riolen one more time. "Sorry again!"

"Gippal, that was rude of me!" Rikku exclaimed as soon as Riolen was out of hearing range.

He raised an eyebrow as they both stopped walking. "No, it wasn't. You were just telling him the truth."

She rolled her eyes. "No. YOU were the one doing all the talking back there!"

"Oh c'mon. What's wrong with that? Don't tell me that you really wanted to go with him," he said.

Rikku sighed, dropping her hands. "I know, but..."

"Rikku, he's creepy," Gippal interrupted her. He paused for a moment before continuing. "Always hangin' around and looking at you like that."

His comment caused her to pause. "What do you mean by that?"

He let out a long sigh. "Listen, all I'm sayin' is that you should be careful around him. If I wasn't there tonight, who knows what would have happened..."

_What is he saying!_

She didn't respond for a while.

"Gippal, I don't like him, ok?"

He glanced at her with his arms crossed. "Yeah, I know. That's why there's no reason for you to go with him anywhere."

Rikku narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah. That's why I'm not!" she exclaimed in frustration, trying to figure out just what exactly it was he was trying to say.

"Alright then," he finally answered.

"Fine."

"Fine."

They stood in front of the residential gates for another few seconds, neither saying anything.

"And why didn't you tell him some lie about why we were really out tonight?" Gippal asked again.

She kicked the ground gently, looking down. "I dunno...but I didn't completely tell him the truth y'know. I said we went out 'cause there wasn't any food...not because you really asked me out..." Rikku trailed off.

"I guess I...sorta expected you to lie when he caught us like that," Gippal admitted with a hand on his hip.

"Yeah, but why would I need to lie about why we were together like that? It's not like I'm hiding anything..." Rikku said.

He looked up at her in silence.

"You ready to go now?" he asked her quietly, motioning towards her house.

She glanced up at him and uncrossed her arms. "Yeah..."

He began walking up ahead with her trailing silently behind him. When they both reached the front door, Rikku reached into her pocket and felt her keys. He stood in front of her. She pulled the keys out, moving herself around him to reach the keyhole.

Her hand brushed against his momentarily and she looked up at him. "Sorry..."

Gippal shook his head and looked at her. "No problem."

They entered the house in silence. He glanced at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Rikku headed towards the stairs and climbed up, leaving Gippal standing alone in the living room.

xxx

Soft plinking noises jarred her out of her sleep. Yawning, she slowly made her way to it and pulled back the curtains hesitantly. Squinting her eyes in the darkness, she saw the form of Riolen. He waved up to her as soon as her face appeared at the window.

She felt her heartbeat racing, wondering what he was doing there. Riolen motioned for her to come down and Rikku paused.

_Man, now what...? I should just tell him once and for all that I'm just not interested in him..._

Pulling on her boots, she pulled her door open and looked out into the hall towards Gippal's room. She felt her mouth hang open in shock. His door was wide open and she could see his blond hair poking out from the blankets. Quickly moving out into the hall, she walked quietly down the stairs, making sure her steps were light.

"Rikku, good...you came," Riolen smiled as she stepped out the front door. He walked towards her.

"Um, what are you doing here?" Rikku whispered.

"I uh...I just wanted to talk, I guess. I couldn't do it when Gippal was there earlier tonight," he laughed softly. The moonlight shone brightly above them, providing just enough light to see what expressions he wore.

She smiled nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Y-Yeah, about tonight, I um..." she trailed off, trying to figure out how to word it to him.

"Rikku, can I ask you something?" Riolen suddenly spoke up. She closed her mouth and looked at him curiously.

"Um, sure."

"Are you and Gippal...together or something?" he asked quietly.

Her cheeks automatically grew warm.

"Aha...I...um, why do you ask that?" she laughed nervously, looking everywhere but his face.

Riolen grinned sideways. "You're always together, and he seemed pretty jealous tonight when I tried to ask you out again."

Rikku looked down at the ground, thinking over what she wanted to say.

"Ok, how about this then," Riolen spoke up when she didn't say anything. "Do you...like him?"

She froze and felt her heart racing at the question. He stood in front of her in silence and noted the shocked expression on her face.

"Why...do you want to know?" Rikku finally said after a while. She tried smiling weakly.

He grinned and took a step closer to her. "Because...I like you, Rikku."

_Omigosh...this is NOT good!_

She laughed nervously, feeling her face burning. Her laughs slowly died away as she realized what she had to tell him. She looked at Riolen and clasped her hands in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Riolen. I...don't feel the same way about you..." Rikku explained apologetically. She saw the hurt in his eyes, but chose not to say anything more. She already felt awful with herself.

"Ah, I...see..." Riolen said quietly.

"Heeeeey there," a voice spoke up.

Riolen's eyes flickered up to the front door and Rikku spun around as well. She felt her heart drop to her feet as she saw Gippal leaning lazily against the doorframe. He pushed himself off and headed in their direction as soon as her eyes rested on him.

"Gippal...!" Rikku exclaimed in shock. His gaze rested momentarily on her, but she couldn't quite tell what his expression meant.

"It seems like we're always running to each other these days," Gippal said in Riolen's direction, putting his arm around Rikku's shoulders.

She froze in surprise and Riolen raised an eyebrow, a sudden understanding flashing before his eyes. He began heading towards the gate.

"I'll...leave you alone now, Rikku. Maybe you'll be able to realize your own feelings soon," Riolen smiled weakly. He quickly walked away, not looking back.

"Riolen, I um...!" she began, but realized that it was no use. The gate closed and the only sound that filled the air was a soft breeze that rustled the bushes beside them.

Rikku sighed, feeling Gippal's arm drop from around her.

"What was that all about?"

She looked at him. "He... um...said that he liked me and..."

Rikku saw Gippal immediately frown, but she continued on nonetheless. "...But I told him that I didn't like him back." At those words, she saw Gippal's expression soften, and she clasped her hands behind her back as she began to head back in the direction of the house.

"He asked me who I liked too," she explained again, as Gippal began following her inside. He stopped in his tracks. Rikku saw him lean a bit on one leg, a hand resting on his hip.

"Did you...tell him...?" he asked quietly.

She stopped at the top of the steps, a soft smile at her lips. "Yeah, I think Riolen finally realizes who it is."

"What..." he suddenly spoke up.

She turned around and looked down at him from her position in front of the door as he began speaking.

He looked away from her. "...what do you mean by that?"

Rikku stepped down and walked towards him. She laughed and shoved him lightly on the shoulder. The action caused Gippal's eye to widen slightly and she giggled some more. He continued staring at her curiously, wondering what she meant. Her laughs subsided after a few more seconds, causing her to simply look up at him. He was about to ask her the question again, but realized that he had already forgotten what it was. Gippal continued watching her, waiting for her to say something. But after some more silence, he realized with shock that he began to feel himself leaning down towards her.

She blinked as Gippal's face was suddenly centimeters away from hers. Without thinking, she backed away from him and quickly headed in the direction of the steps.

"Well, um...I guess I should get back to bed now. G'night...!" she exclaimed.

He stood motionless, before putting a hand to his forehead in confusion.

_What's happening to me...?_

Confused, he stood for another few moments in silence. He couldn't quite explain it, but for some reason he felt unreasonably frustrated. But why...?

Running a hand through is hair, Gippal followed Rikku into the house. He sighed to himself and turned around to lock the door. Without another thought, he reached over and flipped off the light as well, making his way up the stairs.

The hallway was dark as he continued to walk towards his room (or rather...Rikku's old bedroom ) at the end of the hall.

"Gippal...?" a soft voice called out.

He paused in his steps and saw Rikku standing just outside her room. She had her hands behind her back as he approached and was swaying a bit back and forth.

"Yeah?"

She smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry for um...wakin' you and all. You really didn't have to come down y'know."

He waved a hand in the air and smirked. "Yeah, I know. But still...wouldn't want anythin' bad to happen to ya or anything," Gippal laughed softly.

"Yeah..." she replied, trailing off. Her eyes rose up to his slowly. He watched her curiously, wondering what seemed to be bothering her. "Gippal, I um...I just wanted to say…um..." Rikku tried again.

He waited patiently, seeing her fidgeting a bit with her feet.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything! Goodnight again!" she said quickly, turning around to head back into her room.

He immediately reached out to grab her hand, stopping her. She gasped quietly at the touch, but didn't move away this time. Slowly, he raised his other hand to brush against her face and lowered his lips to hers.

Her eyes widened and she felt herself tense, but she didn't push him away. Gippal finally felt her kiss him back. His mind was hazy, but he suddenly snapped back into attention as she backed away from him.

"I um...goodnight!" Rikku exclaimed in a rush as she quickly closed her bedroom door behind her.

Gippal stood motionless in the hallway, dropping his arm at his side.

**End of Chapter 9**

A/N: Chapter 10 is going to be a blast to write! I know you guys will just absolutely love it!

Thanks for reading, and please review.


	10. Almost There

A/N: Before you read any further, there's something I'd like to mention first. Spoilers below.

In FFX-2, during one of the scenes where Rikku and Gippal talk to each other, Gippal says, "We made quite the couple" to Yuna, meaning that he and Rikku were "together." Now, there are many interpretations to this, but for the sake of the fic, we'll assume that they were indeed together at one point.

I mention this because if you notice in that same scene after Gippal says that, Rikku runs up to him and shoves him, turning away from him a bit with a troubled/annoyed look on her face and she says, "What are you saying?" in Al Bhed. Gippal laughs and says, "Rikku's always good for a laugh."

Ok, so in keeping that same mood, Rikku will seem like she's trying to run away/is bothered by something whenever it involves relationships, and it's because of how young she is in this story. Gippal will seem more collected at his young age here, and it'll be supported by how they both act towards each other when he's 18 in the game and Rikku is 17.

If this all sounds confusing now, it'll make sense as the story goes on. I promise.

**Chapter 10: Almost There**

For hours, she lay wide-awake on her mattress. Her mind kept on replaying what had happened earlier that night, and Rikku knew that her heart was beating just a bit faster than it normally would. She bit on her bottom lip and breathed in deeply.

_Ok, ok. Let's think through this, Rikku. That was the second time he kissed you._

Her eyes widened in the darkness and she gasped to herself.

_No, NO! But this time it was different. This time it was...different._

She heard him shift in his bed in the next room, and for a long time she just lay under her own covers, staring at the ceiling.

xxx

The next morning, she awakened feeling tired. She knew she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. Her lips kept on reminding her about the kiss. She could still feel him. Gippal's fingers across her face, his lips on hers...

_Argh! Stop it! _

She fought off a blush and shook her head firmly. That moment would remain burned into her mind and she knew it. But she needed to keep her composure for that day. She froze.

Saturday. Alone in the house with Gippal. Her dad wouldn't be home until tomorrow.

_Great. Now how do I act around him...? I mean, I can't just act as if nothing happened. And, and...I'm sure he expects me to say something about what happened last night..._

For a good ten minutes Rikku paced back and forth across the room. She was still dressed in her pajama shorts and top, and her hair was a mess. She sighed and realized that eventually, Gippal would wonder where she was. She could hear him moving around downstairs already.

Deciding that it was time to get moving, she pulled her tanktop off and kicked her shorts away. She stood in her underwear and opened the closet to look through her clothes.

"Hey, Rikku, it's time to—" Gippal's voice spoke up as he suddenly walked into the room.

Her eyes flew to the door as she saw him and she squealed in shock. She immediately covered herself up and went red with utter embarrassment. "G-Gippal! Get out!" she stammered out in horror, trying desperately to keep herself covered up.

He stood for a few moments, his mouth hanging open slightly. His gaze trailed up to her face before accidentally drifting down her body. Her eyes widened. He caught himself and shut his mouth again. It took him a while to realize her screams at him, and he finally blinked, mumbling a quick apology and exiting the room with a bright red face.

Rikku quickly ran to the door and turned the lock, leaning heavily against it with a sigh. Mentally screaming at herself as well as at him for not knocking at all, she moved to her closet again and threw on some clothes.

xxx

His gaze flickered up to her as she appeared at the kitchen doorway ten minutes later dressed in her normal clothes. He saw that she wasn't looking at him so he turned his head, still embarrassed at what had happened earlier that morning.

She sat across from him at the table and poured herself a glass of milk. Raising the glass to her lips, she glanced at him and he was staring at her. She quickly averted her gaze and cleared her throat as she put the glass down. She could see his gaze on her from the corner of her eye.

"Are you...going to say anything?" Gippal asked quietly.

She looked up at him from across the table. "What...do you want me to say?" she replied, feeling a bit uneasy. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"You know, about last night. And uh...this morning." His face was red.

"About this morning...you shoulda knocked," Rikku replied with her arms crossed. She wasn't looking at him.

"Yeah, I know...sorry 'bout that..."

It was quiet for a while and she hesitantly raised her eyes to him again.

"...And about last night...I uh..." Gippal spoke up. He trailed off, chuckling nervously. "I gotta apologize to you for that too. It was wrong of me and uh—"

"...Wrong?" she interrupted quietly, surprised at his words. He stopped in mid-sentence.

"Y-Yeah. I mean...the way you reacted afterwards and all. Sorry, I shouldn't have..." Gippal said again, looking down at his glass on the table. He cleared his throat.

"Then why did you...?" Rikku asked softly. His gaze met hers and he immediately looked away.

He knew what she was asking him but he didn't respond for a while.

"I mean, um... It's not like you...y'know..." Rikku trailed off, looking down. He looked up at her right then.

_Of course he doesn't! There's no way he could possibly like me. _

Gippal swallowed, knowing full well what she meant. "I uh...I'm not sure..." he said after a while, his voice quiet.

Rikku blinked, her gaze quickly flying across to him.

"Ah, I mean uh...you're cute and all, so I can't help myself sometimes and..." he trailed off, his face a shade of pink.

She sat in her chair, looking down to hide her own flaming face away from him.

"Gippal...that's um..." Rikku started. He looked up at her and she paused.

_Wait...what am I trying to say? Why am I starting my sentence like this...?_

"...That's what?" he quietly asked.

_I know. You're asking me the same thing I'm asking myself. I...don't know what I'm trying to say either..._

"I um...I-I...I'll be back later!" she exclaimed, standing from the chair in a rush. She headed for the front door.

Gippal immediately stood and followed after her. "R-Rikku...wait!" he called out.

"I'll be back in a bit! So just wait 'til then, ok?" she answered, already halfway out the door.

He watched as she closed the door behind her, leaving him standing alone in the living room. It was a feeling he was slowly getting used to when it came to Rikku.

Pacing a bit in front of where she left him, he suddenly felt a smile tugging on his lips.

xxx

_Oooh, I can't believe it! I did it again! Man...why do I always walk out on him...? I always seem to leave whenever he says something like that...and I don't know why..._

_I'm...running away._

_But why...? _

_Running away from him? Or running away from how he seems to make me feel?_

Confused, she stopped walking and saw that she was alone in the middle of the plaza. She sat down on one of the benches and looked up at the clear cerulean sky, sighing to herself. The sun was hot against her bare shoulders.

Unconsciously, her fingers landed on her lips. She remembered Gippal's kiss from the night before.

_I couldn't sleep last night because of that. All night, the only thing I could think about was him..._

Each time she closed her eyes, his face would fill her mind completely so that when she opened them again, it seemed as if he was just beside her. Rikku sighed again, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning back against the bench.

_I..._

_I...need to go back. I can't keep running away like this._

She stood up and found herself running back to the residential area.

xxx

"...Gippal...?"

Silence.

Rikku entered the house and looked around, seeing that his shoes were gone as well.

"You here?" she called out again.

When she got no reply, she realized that he must have gone somewhere too.

"Great. ...huh...?"

A sheet of paper taped on the wall across the door suddenly caught her eye. She walked closer to it and read the writing.

'Sometimes the quietest mouse isn't always that sneaky if the cat catches her eavesdropping on his conversation.'

_Huh!_

Rikku gasped, immediately understanding the note.

It was a clue.

From Gippal of course, and...and...!

_No way. He knew! He knew I was there all along!_

_But how? I hid behind the car...and he never looked at me at all when that girl was talkin' to him! Argh!_

She held the paper in her hand some more and blinked, realizing where to go next.

xxx

By time she had reached the alley again, the plaza was nearly deserted. Rikku moved quickly down the street, keeping an eye out for that same car she hid behind. Finally, she saw another white sheet of paper stuck between the car's tire and the ground.

_What could he be planning?_

She unfolded the paper.

'I've never seen someone eat that much before, but if still staying cute means that you can eat as much as you want, then I already know someone who can do just that.'

Rikku almost laughed aloud. She glanced across the plaza and walked in the direction of the pizza restaurant, anticipating the next note.

When she got there, she could already see the piece of paper folded and tucked just beside the front window. She took it, realizing that this note was folded differently and more elaborately. Her lips curled up.

_So he can fold nicely. That's unexpected..._

'I made you run around a bit, huh? I hope you're not too mad, but at least you're probably smiling now, right? Listen...there's some things I wanna talk to you about, so I'll be at the oasis. Come, ok?'

She read over the words again before finally folding it back up.

_I won't run away this time._

xxx

He stood up from the rock he was leaning against right as he saw her enter the area. Her eyes darted around for a moment before she finally saw him, but she kept her gaze away from his.

"Uh, hey..." Gippal greeted as she stopped in front of him.

"Hi..." she replied, looking down at her shoes.

"I guess you found the notes," he chuckled quietly, reaching up to brush his hair back.

She smiled. "Yeah, I did..."

Gippal looked down at her, seeing her with her head down. He cleared his throat. "W-Well, uh...I guess since you're here, I should start..."

She looked up and met his gaze. "Ok."

They moved over to the edge of the water and he sat down upon one of the larger rocks, looking down at his reflection in the clear pool. She sat on top of the rock near his.

He sighed. "Alright, I wanna know what's up."

Rikku didn't look at him, but instead looked at his reflection in the water. "What's up with what?"

_No, stop that. You know what he's talking about. So just answer him._

"You know..." Gippal trailed off. He sighed and fully faced her. "...Rikku, you know what I mean..."

She nodded and moved her legs under herself, finally looking into his face. It took a lot of courage on her part to keep her eyes on him and she fought to answer him under his intense stare.

"Yeah, Gippal. I...know what you're trying to say..."

"Then, let's talk about it," he said gently.

She looked away. "What's there to talk about?"

He sighed. "C'mon. You can't be sayin' that kind of stuff now. We can't be livin' together if things are like this between us..." he trailed off.

Her mouth fell open slightly and she felt her face grow hot. "What do you me-"

"Rikku, I mean that one of us likes the other and...and..." He couldn't seem to finish after that. Gippal turned to look at the water again. He could feel her eyes on him.

"...and you want to figure out who, right...?" Rikku finished his sentence quietly, surprised at his words. She had her eyes down, her heart thudding loudly in her chest.

He slowly looked over at her again, a small smile at his lips. "Well, y-yeah...I mean, you didn't push me away or anything when I kissed you last night and..."

"...and..." she spoke up.

He stood up from his rock and walked towards her. "...and I wanna know why." Rikku turned her face to him, seeing his gaze on her. She bit on her bottom lip, feeling her emotions building up and finally spilling.

"So what do you want me to say, Gippal? That I'm madly in love with you or somethin'? That after you kissed me, I was awake the whole night and couldn't sleep because you're all I thought about!" she stopped herself by putting a hand on her mouth, realizing that she had said too much.

He was looking back at her, his eye widened slightly. He seemed to be fighting off a smile. Turning her red face away, she sensed him move closer so that he sat beside her on the rock.

_Omigosh...I'm so stupid. I can't believe I told him all that...!_

His voice interrupted her thoughts.

"...You..." he started quietly. "...took the words right out of my mouth."

Rikku froze, slowly turning around to face him.

"S-Stop making fun of me like that..." she softly said, looking away.

He moved so that he could see her face. "I'm...not, Rikku. I mean it," he said. When she didn't respond, he continued on, feeling his heart beating faster. "I'm saying that..." he found his breath again before continuing on. "...I'm saying—"

Rikku looked at him and blinked, her heart pounding a million times a minute. "...that you...?" she asked in disbelief.

He smiled a bit and nodded. "...Yeah, I-I do..."

She turned away in embarrassment, suddenly feeling very shy.

"Oh..."

Gippal bumped her gently on the arm. "And?" he smiled playfully.

Rikku looked at him quickly, feeling her own mouth curving upwards. "And what?" she asked in a soft voice, turning away again.

He chuckled, moving himself so that he had one hand resting against the rock on the other side of where her legs were resting, trapping her in place. She swallowed and leaned away from him a bit.

"...And what about you? Aren't you going to say anything?" he laughed.

She crossed her arms, turning her face away so that he couldn't see her smile. "Haven't we already figured out who it was?" she said to him, raising an eyebrow.

Gippal blinked, scratching the back of his head and chuckling. "Aha...ah, y-yeah, I guess. But...it can't work if it's just one person y'know..." he smiled. She looked over at him, ready to say something, but she closed her mouth again.

"I-I um..." Rikku started shyly, playing with a loose thread on her shorts. He smiled at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Yeah?" he prompted.

She saw the way he was watching her and she finally sighed, smiling. "You don't know yet?" Rikku asked quietly, avoiding his face.

"Y-You're serious..." Gippal whispered, seeing her turn to him again. Apparently he was just as surprised as she was. She smiled and slipped out from under him.

Rikku stood on the ground, her hands clasped behind her back. "Yup."

He seemed to finally realize what was happening, and he shook his head with a smirk on his face. Getting off the rock, he moved over to her and reached for her hand, locking their fingers together. She blushed.

"So does that mean we get to share a bed tonight?" he winked.

Rikku felt her face grow even hotter and she hit him on the shoulder, causing him to laugh.

"G-Gippal...! Don't just say things like that!" she said in embarrassment, feeling the warmth from his grasp.

He looked at her annoyed face and smiled as they continued to walk back to Home, their joined hands gently swinging back and forth.

End of Chapter 10

A/N: Eh? EH! So how did you all like that? I hope I surprised you all by how I decided to handle the confession scene, hehe.

I won't talk much about Chapter 11, so I guess you'll all just have to wait and see for yourselves.

Thanks for reading.


	11. Rainy Days

A/N: Thanks to all the people who have reviewed! Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up!

Hope you all enjoy.

**Chapter 11: Rainy Days**

Rikku shook out her bangs, wiping her brow from the water. "Geez, i-it's really comin' down out there! And you'd think this was a desert, y'know!"

"Guess we're stuck here," Gippal replied, stopping beside her. He stood with a hand on his hip and regarded her with a grin.

They stood underneath a short overhang just inside Home. The sky had turned an ominous gray before a flash of lightning appeared. Before they knew it, it was pouring.

She wrung out her hair a bit and looked outside again. "We could try making a run for it and—" her words were abruptly cut off as she jumped at the crash. Thunder rumbled loudly just outside, a flash of lightning lit up the sky. "Ehehe...nevermind, I guess we can wait it out some more," Rikku said quickly, hugging herself a bit.

"What's the matter? Still scared of a little thunder?" Gippal asked, a grin tugging at his lips. "And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

"Ehehe...not with thunder. I...just can't stand it...!" she squealed again as another crash filled the air.

"Hm...well we can't stay here all day. I'm soaked and uh...so are..." Gippal suddenly cleared his throat, his eyes trailing down to her shirt.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked in confusion, seeing his gaze on her chest. Her eyes widened and she suddenly hugged herself in realization.

"D-Don't look...!" Rikku exclaimed in embarrassment, seeing him grin slowly.

He promptly held his hands up in defense, chuckling a bit. "Didn't see a thing." She stopped for a moment, still hugging her chest.

"Though it wouldn't be the first time," Gippal mumbled quietly, smiling as her mouth dropped open. He laughed as she stood up and shoved him. "H-Hey, it's true, you know!" he laughed on, causing her to pout.

"Y-You pervert!" Rikku pointed a finger at him.

"Better me than someone else," he said with a hand on his hip.

She closed her mouth and turned away, sighing. "Y-Yeah..." she said under her breath, hoping Gippal didn't hear.

He grinned, taking a step towards her. "What was that?" he leaned in to look at her.

"I said that you're a meanie."

Her statement caused him to grin wider and he laughed, holding his sides. "You're always great for a laugh."

"Better me than someone else," she said, teasing him. Gippal turned around and he winked.

"I know."

Rikku heard another crash of thunder and she cringed, scooting back underneath the overhang closer to him.

"How 'bout we try makin' a run for it now?" Gippal suggested, changing the subject.

"Now? B-But it's still raining and the thunder's still—" she trailed off, jumping again.

"We'll get sick or something if we stay out here," Gippal said, moving towards her. "Come here."

She looked up and walked over to him.

"Get on. That way, I won't be able to see anything and I can get you to finally move," he chuckled, bending down.

"W-Well um...fine. But only because you're a pervert and you'd look...!" Rikku replied, climbing on his back. She promptly felt the heat from his body as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Gippal grinned, feeling her pressed against him. He looked back at her. "Hold on."

He quickly darted out from under the overhang and rushed across the plaza toward the house. Rikku held on, feeling her head start to slowly lean forward towards him. Thunder continued to rumble in the distance. In a moment, she gave in to herself and rested her head against him so that her cheek was on his shoulder.

Gippal slowed his steps down a bit as he felt her breath on him coming out in short little puffs. He smiled sideways as they finally reached the front door of Rikku's house.

"Couldn't resist me, hm. Not many can," he laughed up as he stopped before her door.

Her head shot up suddenly and she opened her mouth ready to reply.

The front door flew open and bright light streamed out, a familiar silhouette standing in front of them.

"And where in tarnation have you kids been!" Cid demanded, crossing his arms.

Rikku immediately let go of Gippal and she jumped off him, laughing nervously and scratching the back of her head. "N-Nowhere, Pops! Just for a walk...!" she laughed some more.

Cid raised an eyebrow and eyed the two of them curiously. His daughter was standing a little bit behind Gippal and the boy had a light tinge of pink on his cheeks. Cid frowned. "Hm...is that right. Well, hurry up and get inside. You're more soaked than a Hypello in a hot spring!" he exclaimed, stepping aside as Rikku and Gippal entered.

"U-Uhm, where's Brother?" Rikku asked after her father had shut the door.

Cid walked past them and called out over his shoulder. "He's finishing up at the Moonflow. I came back early to check up on you kids."

Rikku glanced at Gippal and he seemed like he was trying hard not to smile. "Oh, u-um, but Pops! We were alright here. See! We're ok!" she exclaimed, moving her arms for emphasis.

Her father turned around and frowned. "Well at least I'm here now."

"Ehehehe..." she laughed softly, watching Cid go into the back. She let out a sigh and turned to Gippal. "And you didn't even help me explain things to him!" she whispered, pointing a finger.

Gippal grinned and waved a hand through the air. "Seemed like you did a pretty good job talkin' to your dad though."

"Oh, but it was sooo embarrassing. We almost got caught and...!"

"And...what?" he said softly, suddenly very close to her face.

She swallowed and leaned away from him, backing up against the wall. He moved towards her some more.

"Gippal...! What if he sees us? You can't just do things like this right here!" Rikku hissed at him, her eyes darting to see if Cid would come in the room.

"And where would you like me to do these things then?" he smiled, causing her to push him away. He laughed.

She began heading up the stairs, leaning against the railing as she looked down at him.

"Keep on asking and maybe you'll never find out," Rikku winked, climbing the rest of the way up.

Gippal blinked in surprise, making a mental note to take her up on that offer later.

xxx

It was a bit past eight at night by the time Cid announced that he was heading to bed.

"Already? Wow, Pops. You must be really tired or somethin'!" Rikku exclaimed as she sat by the table restocking her item belt. Gippal sat in the chair across from her, tinkering with a piece of machina.

Cid stood up, yawning and stretching his limbs. "Yeeep. Had a long day. I'll see ya tomorrow," he announced, heading out towards the stairs. He suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Oh and uh...Gippal."

He looked up. "Sir?"

"I hear you're interested in the Crusaders."

Gippal put down the machina and sat up a bit, his face lighting up. "Yeah, I am."

Cid stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Come to me tomorrow when you're free and I'll give you more information on where you need to go."

"Alright, I will. Thanks, Cid," Gippal nodded, watching the older man leave.

"The Crusaders?" Rikku asked quietly, seeing Gippal pick up the machina again.

"Yeah, it's a group that wants to fight Sin. I've wanted to be a part of them for a long time," he explained thoughtfully, looking up at her.

"So does that mean you're...leaving?" she asked.

"I don't know," he sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I guess when training starts, I'll have to leave to see if I get in."

"Oh."

He looked up and she was no longer working on her item belt.

"I hope you're able to get in then," Rikku suddenly said, smiling brightly.

Gippal paused, seeing her grin. "It's not like I'm leaving tomorrow or something you know. It'll probably be after this summer is over..." he explained with a wave of his hand. He leaned back a bit in his chair with an arm resting around the back.

"Yeah..." she replied, her voice distant.

"Worried that you'll never see me again or somethin' right?" he joked, standing up from his seat. He walked over to her.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "No. Why would I worry about you?" Rikku was obviously teasing him and he laughed. Gippal stopped behind her chair and gently leaned in.

"You'll miss me, y'know," he said.

She spun around and batted him away. He smirked. "And what if I don't?" she challenged with a grin.

"Oh you will. It's not like you'll meet anyone else who you'll end up liking..." he trailed off, his voice losing its playful tone.

She looked down. "So you really are...leaving."

He came around to stand in front of her, taking both her hands in his and pulling her up. She didn't look at him. "C'mon, you're stronger than that, Cid's Girl," he said.

"But it's not gonna be the same without you, y'know?" Rikku said, looking up.

He smiled weakly. "Yeah..."

"And what if you meet someone else or somethin'?" she continued, knowing that Gippal was sure to meet another person out there. He was just the type that attracted girls, plain and simple. That thought made her tense up.

"Hey, what about you? How will I know that you won't meet someone else while I'm gone or something?" Gippal asked, nudging her.

She spun away and crossed her arms. "Because I just won't."

He laughed, turning her around to face him again. "Promise me one thing then."

She turned her face to him. "Okay."

"Wherever we may be, we gotta stay happy, all right? No sad faces or cryin' alright? ...I uh...I wouldn't be able to live with myself for that..."

Rikku couldn't help but smile. "Sad faces? Crying? Who's gonna cry, Gippal?" she giggled quietly.

"No one will," he answered with a grin. She looked away from him momentarily. "Hey, you know what we should do so we really wouldn't have to worry then?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh? What?"

Gippal's smile widened. "We should get married."

"WHAT!" Rikku demanded in shock. The color drained from her face and she felt her knees wobbling.

He grasped her by the shoulders and gently kept her steady. "Hey, I'm just...kidding. A joke. It was a joke," he laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "That's some joke!"

"You kids still up?" Cid's voice boomed from upstairs.

They jumped at the older man's voice and Rikku shouted back. "Y-Yeah, Pops! But we'll head up in a bit!"

It was silent again, and she turned around to look at Gippal.

"So...you uh...goin' to bed now...?" he began, scratching the back of his neck. She stood just a little in front of him.

"Yeah...um. Aren't you?" Rikku asked.

He walked over to her and she watched as he switched off the light. "Yeah."

She headed up the stairs and stopped right outside her room, her hand on the doorknob. Gippal chuckled softly behind her and she turned around to face him, seeing the outlines of his face in the darkness.

"At least you'll get your real room back again after I leave."

"It doesn't matter to me you know..."

Gippal could sense her sadness by the way she turned her head down, but he chose not to say anything. He knew that he would be leaving soon as well, but he wasn't the type of person who would give up to sadness like that. It just wasn't his style. Instead, he said goodnight and walked past her and towards the end of the hall to his room. His step faltered slightly as he heard Rikku open the door to her own bedroom. He didn't turn around.

She watched his back as she lingered in the hallway some more. He continued walking and Rikku sighed, finally heading inside.

"Rikku."

She paused as Gippal began walking in her direction again. His dark figure leaned in towards her and he kissed her on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams," Gippal said.

"Y-Yeah..." she replied weakly, wanting to reach out to him.

He hovered over her for a few more seconds before stepping away and heading down the hall again.

"Gippal...?"

He stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

"You'll still be here in the morning, right?" Rikku asked quietly.

Gippal stood with a hand on his hip and smiled sideways at her. "Why...what'll you do if I'm not?" he whispered back, his eyes sparkling under the low light.

She rocked back and forth on her heels. "Nothing. We said no sad faces or crying right?" Rikku gestured with her hands. Gippal raised an eyebrow and began heading back in her direction as she continued to talk. "Besides, it's not like I'll really _miss _you or anything or think about you all the time y'know..."

He smirked and stopped in front of her, causing Rikku to take a step backwards into her room. "Admit it. You're addicted to me, aren't you?" he grinned.

"What!"

"You are. Or else you wouldn't have asked if I'd still be here in the morning," he whispered. She could see him smiling in the darkness.

Rikku pointed to the door. "Goodnight, Gippal."

"Only if you kiss me goodnight," he said.

She rolled her eyes and waved a finger at him. "We may be together and all, but I'm not that easy to control y'know and—" Her words caught in her mouth as Gippal pulled her towards him in one smooth motion. She gasped as her hands crashed against his chest.

"You were saying?" he asked, a slow smile spreading on his lips.

"Ah...I-I...um," she spoke out in a jumble, feeling his arms tighten around her. Rikku grinned herself and put her arms around his waist. She saw his eye widen in surprise and she began moving both of them, causing Gippal to back up with her still pushing.

"...Yeah?" he smirked.

Rikku continued pushing him as he kept his arms around her. She smiled. "I was saying. that. you. need. to get out." At that point, Gippal saw that she had led them outside and he was standing outside her room. She dropped her arms from around him and giggled.

He leaned against the doorframe casually after letting her go. "Aren't you even a little guilty?" he chuckled.

She crossed her arms. "About what?"

"You know. For kicking me out like this knowing that I might not be here for long."

"Sssh. Gippal, my dad might here you. Keep your voice down," Rikku whispered at him, a finger at her lips.

He grinned and lowered his voice. "Then let's go back into your room then."

She closed the door halfway, seeing him still standing outside with a smirk. "_Goodnight_, Gippal...!" she whispered again.

"'Night, _Cid's Girl," _he replied, leaning down to quickly kiss her on the cheek. With that, he headed down the hallway once again.

Rikku turned and closed the door behind her and flopped down on her mattress on the floor. She buried her face in the pillow. "Why do you have to leave..." she mumbled quietly.

**End of Chapter 11**

Thanks so much for reading, everyone. The final chapter is up next, and I hope to make that the longest chapter if I can. Until then, see you later!


	12. Strawberry Kisses

A/N: It's taken me a while, but here it is. The final chapter.

It's been a great few months writing this fic. I enjoyed being able to write about the younger Rikku and Gippal and have it so the story was light and happy. I hope I've done a good job in trying to show my point of view of how the two met.

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed the story up until now. It means a lot to me!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Strawberry Kisses**

Two weeks passed before Gippal returned from his training for the Crusaders. He had entered the front door covered in dirt, his once-bright eye tired and dull. Dropping his bag on the floor, he yawned once and leaned against the doorframe as he waved lazily at her.

"Hey."

She had just come into the living room upon hearing him come in. "Um, hi..." her reply came out confused, looking him quickly up and down.

Gippal smirked and pushed himself from the wall. Turning, he closed the door behind him and stepped inside.

Rikku opened her mouth to speak but paused, something faint drifting by her nose. "Eww, Gippal. You smell...!" she exclaimed, realizing that the scent was coming from him. She shook her head and backed away from him.

He was laughing. "What? Rikku can't handle a little dirt?" Gippal moved towards her with his arms held out.

"S-Stay away! You smell icky!" she replied, twisting herself around and out of his extended arms as she headed out the front door. He was right behind her.

"C'mon, Rikku. Stop playing around," Gippal smiled, stepping down the stairs and off the porch.

"Come any closer and I'll really do it!" she threatened, holding a hose in her hand. Before she even saw the mischievous glint in his eye, Rikku pulled the trigger as water splashed in his face.

"H-Hey...!" Gippal replied through a mouthful of water.

She stuck a tongue out at him, momentarily moving the hose away to let him talk. He wiped the water away, his hair sparkling under the sunlight. "Alright, no more games. Aren't you even gonna ask me how it went?" he spoke in a sing-song manner, a smirk on his face.

Rikku lowered the hose and turned off the water, much to Gippal's satisfaction. She walked over and stopped in front of him, tilting her head to look up into his no-longer dirty face. "So...how'd it go?"

He reached up to brush his hair back. "Didn't get in."

"Wha—I mean um...wait," she paused and shook her head. He wasn't supposed to say that. He was supposed to say yes. He was supposed to say that he was going to leave. That way, it'd be easier to forget about him and—

"They said I wasn't eligible because of being an Al Bhed. I guess that's that then," Gippal explained. His gaze wandered before resting to look down at her again. She cleared her throat.

"...Oh, so um, you're not leaving then?" Rikku asked.

He scratched the back of his neck, turning away. "Actually, I still am."

She stopped at his words again. "...Oh."

Gippal began pacing in front of her, his boots making crunching sounds on the gravel. "I'm going out there to see what else I can do," he said thoughtfully. "I mean, with Sin and everything, there're people out there who want to help protect Spira. There's definitely something out there for me," he paused for a moment, looking at her. "...But staying here's not gonna do anything..." he trailed off.

"Something out there, huh..." Rikku echoed slowly. He turned around.

"What? You gonna miss me like crazy again?" he smiled.

She laughed and shook her head. "'Course not! I'd never miss you!" Gippal chuckled softly at that. She continued on. "You'll do alright, y'know. Get out there. Do what you do best."

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're not...uh, I mean..." he stopped for a moment. Rikku rolled her eyes.

"What? Spit it out already," she laughed.

"...Well you know," he began again. "You're not mad at me or anything, are ya?"

Rikku shook her head. "No way! Why would I be mad. I mean, it's about _time _you left!" she exclaimed, much to his amusement. He could tell that she was only pretending for his sake.

"Listen, we said no sad faces, remember?" Gippal said, moving towards her.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm not sad! See?" Rikku replied as he pulled her gently to him in a soft hug. She paused, letting her words lose themselves.

It was Gippal who finally spoke again. "What'll you do if we happen to run into each other again? You know, like in a long time from now, or years later or something?" he asked playfully.

She hugged him tighter. "You know me. I'd still be the same ol' me," she grinned.

Gippal pulled away to look at her, amused.

"...And what about you? How would you act around me?" Rikku asked quietly. It took him a few moments to respond, but when he did, he just smiled.

"I'd still be the same too. We said we wouldn't be sad remember?" he said, ruffling her hair and laughing as he ran away with her behind him.

xxx

_(3 months later--Home)_

"Oh come on. It's not as if you like someone, right?"

She picked up her bag and began heading out the door.

"Riiiiikkkkuu. Oh, wait up already!" the Al Bhed exclaimed, chasing quickly after her.

"No. I already told you no a billion times! I won't date you!"

"But why?"

She spun around on her heel angrily, green eyes glowing. "Just because!"

"Hey, that's not a real answer," the boy chuckled, seeing Rikku's frustration. "Alright, alright. How about a

deal then?"

His words caused her to stop in her steps. She turned around to face him slowly. "What'd you say?"

He smiled. "A deal. I'll do anything you want. A personal slave, if you wanna call it that."

Her eyebrows knit together in anger and she threw her bag at him. "Eeww, no!"

"Rikku!"

They both stopped at the familiar voice.

"Rikku. You're being called to the house. Something about a mission," her brother informed her. His thick

accent was difficult to understand, but she had a trained ear for it.

"I'm on it!" she exclaimed immediately, grabbing her bag from the ground and sprinting in the direction of her house. She was glad to get away from there.

Brother raised an eyebrow at his sister's retreating form in the distance. Still puzzled, his gaze drifted over to the Al Bhed boy who was standing a few feet away from him.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Vahn. I uh..."

"What were you doing with my sister just now?" Brother demanded, taking a step closer to the boy.

Vahn visibly stepped back. "N-Nothing! I wasn't doing anything!" he chuckled nervously.

"Mm-hm...is that right?" Brother crossed his arms.

"W-Well, I uh...have to get going now. Seeya!" Vahn exclaimed, walking in the direction of town.

Brother mumbled under his breath and headed towards town.

xxx

"Yo, Pops! I'm here!"

"Huh? Rikku? That you?" Cid's voice called out from the kitchen as he heard the door slam.

"Yeah, what's up?" she asked her father, walking over to the table where he sat.

Cid sighed. "Sit down, Rikku."

_Uh-oh. I wonder what's wrong..._

She sat down across from him, worried but hopeful at the same time. Her father was frowning, a visible

wrinkle in his brow.

"From now on, you won't be staying here," Cid began, looking at his daughter.

"What do you...mean, Pops?" Rikku asked in confusion. What her father said had really caught her off guard. And there she thought that he had something exciting or new to tell her.

He sighed. "We're a bit short-handed on crew these days, so you'll need to start helping out more than ever now..."

Rikku thought for a moment, realizing that this day would have eventually came anyway. After all, she was fifteen, almost going onto sixteen years old.

"Alright Pops. What's my job?" she spoke up, her voice much happier than Cid had thought it would be.

"Oh, uh...right." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a stack of folded papers. Laying them out, Rikku watched as Cid sorted through them before finally seeing the paper he wanted. "Here we go." He began to read the mission. "I want you to be in charge of underwater dives for a while. You will be excavating old machina."

She nodded slowly, carefully listening to the mission details as Cid continued to explain it. When he was finished, he put the paper down and crossed his arms.

"Well?"

Rikku nodded again, standing up. "Sounds good to me! Um, when do I leave?" she asked.

Her father stood up as well. "Actually, you leave today."

"What? A-Already! But I haven't even...I mean, it's too soon!" she exclaimed in a rush, following after Cid as he made his way to the front door.

"Get packing. The sooner this mission is over, the better," he simply said, already stepping out into the porch.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice," she sighed. "Oh yeah. Hey Pops, when do I get back?"

"Get back? You mean back here to Home?" Cid asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Well that's a tough one. From the looks of things, it's gonna be a long time. Maybe a couple of months even," he informed her.

It took a moment for her father's words to sink in. Months? Who knew when she would be able to return home again...

"Hurry and get ready. The airship leaves in an hour," Cid said again. She quickly headed up into her room and from his position downstairs, Cid could hear her moving around quickly as his daughter gathered up her bags.

He sighed and looked down. "Sorry, kid..."

xxx

Rikku looked down through the wispy clouds at the ground below, Home growing smaller and smaller in the distance. The gentle hum of the airship filled her ears, and she could feel herself drifting off to sleep.

This new life away from Home was probably the best. Thoughts of her Home ultimately led to thoughts of him. She squeezed her eyes shut even more, frustrated at how long it had been since she last saw Gippal. His face flashed momentarily in her eyes, his image staying behind her eyelids.

_I wonder where he could be right now..._

He was probably busy chasing his own dreams and doing big things. Probably things that were much bigger than what she would be doing. Wherever he was, she knew she'd be happy for him.

"Miss Rikku? We'll be arriving shortly. So you can just relax until then," the pilot called out from the front of the airship.

"Ok, thanks again," she responded flatly, her thoughts elsewhere. A few moments of silence passed before Rikku finally stood up from the seat next to the window and headed in the direction of the sleeping quarters.

She nodded politely and smiled at the crew who were standing about in the hallway as she walked by them. These were the Al Bhed whom she would be working with for a while, and they all seemed nice. Her father had gathered the best men and women to go with her, and they were all equally good underwater.

"It's a pleasure to be working with you, Rikku," a young woman said, walking up to her.

Turning, Rikku looked into her soft green eyes and pleasant face. The Al Bhed woman seemed to be only a few years older than Rikku herself. Maybe not more than 18 years old.

"I look forward to working with everyone too," Rikku responded kindly, tipping her head down a bit. "It's going to be a long journey, but we'll do fine," she continued.

"I know we will. Your father has said some great things about you, so the rest of the crew and I aren't too worried," the woman laughed, her sweet voice ringing like tiny bells.

Rikku's eyes widened, surprised. "M-My old man? He's said some good things about me?" she asked, incredulous.

The woman nodded. "Oh, yes. Said that he's been saving this mission for you for a very long time." She smiled at Rikku's shocked expression. "We don't doubt your abilities, Miss."

Rikku returned the woman's smile, nodding again. "Thank you...um..."

"Oh! How thoughtless of me! I'm Elra!" she quickly said, extending a hand finally.

Rikku laughed softly, shaking hands with her. "Nice to meet you, Elra."

xxx

"Hey uh...were you the one who's been calling me?"

The man's robes brushed the dirt as he finally stepped out in full view. His face was visibly wrinkled, but there was an air of importance in his expression, despite the man's round and short build.

"W-wait, you're a Maester!"

"Indeed I am, young man," the Maester responded coolly, taking a quick look at the boy before him. "I am Maester Kinoc. I have come to give you an offer."

"An offer...?"

"Yes. Might I ask your name, young man?" the Maester asked slowly, crossing his arms.

"Oh...uh, I'm Gippal."

"Gippal. I see..." Kinoc responded, repeating Gippal's name. "May I ask why you are walking down here alone?" he asked Gippal, looking down the long stretch of the dirt road leading up into Djose Temple.

He leaned back on one leg. "I'm looking for something. Anything. I want to help protect the world from Sin," Gippal responded thoughtfully.

"So it seems I was correct about you, young man. You will do," Kinoc smiled.

"Uh, excuse me?"

Kinoc began pacing in front of Gippal. "I am putting together an elite fighting force of young men such as yourself. Although you are perhaps the first Al Bhed I have run into... but I sense your strength and will," the Maester explained slowly, stopping to face Gippal.

"A fighting force...heh, I tried something like that already," Gippal said with a short laugh. "I tried out for the Crusaders, but got turned down because I'm an Al Bhed."

The Maester smiled at this. "Ah, but that is where my elite fighting force differs, my friend. I am not only willing to open it to women, but to all races as well. ...Including the Al Bhed."

Gippal blinked, suddenly interested.

"Think it over, Gippal. I will be staying at the Djose Temple up ahead for a while, so you may enlist if you wish," Maester Kinoc replied, beginning to head back up the steps.

"W-Wait a sec...!" Gippal called out. Everything just seemed to be happening so quickly.

Kinoc turned around. "Yes?"

"Uh, what's the name of this fighting squad you're building?" Gippal asked, a hand on his hip.

The Maester smiled. "The Crimson Squad."

xxx

The suit clung securely to her body as Rikku pulled the goggles over her head. Her team had undergone five successful missions along the coast of Besaid Island since they had arrived a month ago, and it was fast-approaching the day when she would be able to take a short one-week vacation.

"That's the last of the machina, Rikku. Where should we put 'em?"

Rikku turned and inspected the pieces quickly. "Um, I think the storeroom for now. We've pretty much covered everything here anyway," she smiled.

The Al Bhed nodded and walked away, the machina clanging as he continued on.

She unzipped the front of her suit, feeling a bit better as the air came in through her lungs normally again. After every successful mission when all her teammates had left the main site, Rikku would be alone and she took these opportunities to sit back and reflect on her day. Sometimes she would just wander, letting herself become absorbed with the atmosphere as she let her mind relax.

Lately, she realized that she was enjoying herself more doing missions than she was at Home. Even if they had to undergo difficult tasks at times, the sense of accomplishment she felt after every success was a great feeling.

Rikku looked up at the sunset before her, removing her gloves for the first time that day. She simply sat there for a few minutes, the silence providing a calming effect on her.

A scrape of the dirt behind her caused her to turn.

"I hope I'm not intruding or anything."

She smiled at the familiar face. It was Elra, whom she had met in the hallway all those weeks ago when Rikku had first met her crew.

"Oh no, you weren't!" Rikku responded as she shook her head. "What are you doing out here, Elra?"

"Well we were just about to start dinner and we realized that you weren't there!" Elra laughed lightheartedly, lowering herself down on the ground to sit beside her.

Rikku laughed nervously. "Ahaha, sorry 'bout that. I was just about to head in anyway."

Elra studied her leader carefully, the younger girl suddenly looking a few years older than she really was as she looked out into the horizon. "There isn't anything...bothering you, is there? I mean, I'll be glad to help if I can, Rikku," Elra said, concern in her clear eyes.

The younger Al Bhed laughed again. "Nah, don't worry 'bout me. I just take these moments to relax. Nothing's botherin' me," Rikku assured Elra, smiling as the other woman frowned some more. "Really! I'm fine."

"Well if you say so..." Elra said, still doubtful. She stood up, but paused. "...But if I'm not mistaken, and from what I've learned from my years, it seems you might be bothered because of a boy."

Rikku's head shot up as she looked at her. "H-Huh!"

Elra laughed softly, the orange sun splashing her face with soft hues. "Oh, so I'm right then?"

Rikku stared at Elra for a few more seconds before lowering her head. She sighed, leaning back on her hands. "You know, Elra. About a month ago I would have probably said that you were right."

Elra lowered herself down next to Rikku again, sitting cross-legged.

"...But I've sorta come to accept things the way they are now, y'know?" Rikku said, turning to smile at Elra. "I mean, I know he's off chasing his dreams and all. And I'm here starting my life too."

"Rikku...," Elra began slowly. She didn't know who her leader was speaking about, but was surprised that Rikku was opening up for the first time ever. "That's quite a mature thing you've decided on. Not many girls I know your age would think of it that way. No less accept it."

"Yeah, but it's something he and I talked about and agreed on too," Rikku said quietly, looking up. She swung her legs back and forth. "Of course I'm sad that we're off doing things of our own y'know, but sometimes things just happen and you've gotta make some sacrifices to do what's best..."

It was the first time Rikku had said it aloud. She had known it for a long time, but finally voicing it out in the open made her feel lighter somehow. It didn't hurt as much whenever she thought of the time Gippal was with her.

"With Sin's threat approaching, I suppose lots of us are out there trying to save Spira," Elra said thoughtfully, looking out into the distance. She turned to Rikku after a while. "Do you ever stop to think about how you'll act when you two see each other again?"

Rikku laughed quietly. "Yeah, I have this big thing planned out where I'd sneak up behind him wearing this huge ugly mask. He'd turn around scared and right when he's about to run away, I'd pull the mask off and laugh at how dumb he looked."

Elra smiled. "That _really _would be something!"

The two giggled at the plan, and Rikku was glad for the change of mood. She missed Gippal, but they were still friends after all, and Rikku would always have a little spot for him deep down.

"Well then, shall we head on in now?" Elra suggested, sensing Rikku's uplifted spirits. She stood up and offered a hand to the younger girl.

"Yeah, I'm starved!" Rikku exclaimed.

xxx

"Uh, let's see here. It seems like we've got orders to head to Djose Temple," one of her crewmen spoke up.

The team was sitting around a table a few weeks later. They had just received a message from Cid telling them that they needed to investigate the banks of the road leading up the temple. Apparently there was some machina that hadn't been covered yet.

"Ok, when do we head out?" Rikku asked as she restocked her item belt from across the table.

The crewman flipped through the pages. "Huh! It says we leave today!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"What! Again! Pops is really gonna hear it from me this time!" Rikku raved, stuffing the rest of the items into the belt quickly. She stood from the chair and turned to her team. "You heard the orders, everyone. I guess we have no choice."

"How much water is Cid planning on making us dive?" one of the men joked as they headed up to the rooms.

Elra shook her head as she chuckled. "Apparently about the only place he hasn't made us investigate are the hotsprings!"

The crewmen laughed at that, and Rikku giggled as well.

xxx

As soon as everyone had suited up, they made the short flight to Djose and had started up the long path towards the temple.

"Jeez, at least they could have dropped us off in front of the temple or something!" Rikku exclaimed, looking out at the far stretch of road they had to walk. "Ugh, this stinks."

Elra secured her goggles at the top of her head. "At least it's still early so we won't have too much trouble with the fiends," she replied thoughtfully.

The men began leading the way and Rikku walked next to Elra. They fell easily into step with one another, sharing jokes and whispering about which crewmen Elra liked best. Rikku had soon learned that Elra had an eye for the head assemblyman, and apparently he was showing signs that he was interested as well.

"Oooh, why don't you talk to him later? We do get to rest once we reach the bridges you know," Rikku whispered in a giggle.

"I think I will," Elra agreed, feeling a blush creep on her cheeks.

After about thirty minutes of walking and fighting off fiends, they could now see the looming temple in the distance, the bridges clearly visible.

"Ow, my feet are killing me," Rikku cringed as the group stopped for a break. The men began heading off in different directions to survey and explore the area.

"Are you alright, Rikku?" Elra asked with amusement, seeing the other girl sit down right where she was.

"Yeah, I just need to take a break right here. I'll be fine."

Elra laughed. "Ok then. I'll be over doing my own mission," she winked.

And with that, Elra walked away in the direction of the banks. Rikku grinned. She was most likely off trying to find the assemblyman she liked.

Standing up from the ground finally, Rikku made her way over to the bridge area. She peered over and down into the clear water below, seeing her reflection. Behind her, people bustled back and forth and she would look over her shoulder from time to time just in case someone recognized her. Rikku was an Al Bhed after all, and being so close to the Djose Temple was probably not the best idea.

Still, the cool breeze was refreshing as she leaned forward against the bridge's side wall, trying to cool down. She tucked a few loose strands of hair back into her head, wishing she didn't look too bad that day.

"Still trying to keep yourself cute, eh?"

Rikku didn't turn around. It was probably someone who was just passing by.

"Um, hi?"

She began humming a light tune, moving her head back and forth.

_I'm not about to get caught. No siree._

"You mean you're _not_ Rikku?"

It was then that she froze, the sound of her name from that voice all too familiar. She spun around.

"Well it's about time!"

"G-Gippal...!"

He grinned. "How you been?"

"But, what...I mean um, you're not supposed to be here!" she exclaimed at last, her mouth open in shock.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Rikku bit her bottom lip, realizing that she was both speechless and in disbelief. "I mean um, it's just that..." She suddenly realized that she was a mess. She must have looked frightening to him. "...just because!"

Gippal tilted his head back and laughed loudly. "I could spot you from all the way at the temple. Now that I get a good look at you..." he leaned in towards her and she batted him away. "...you DO look kinda weird!" He laughed again as she hit him.

"Meanie!"

"Whaaaat! I was only telling the truth!" Gippal replied.

Rikku stepped away from him for a moment. "...Wow, you look...different now..." she said quietly. He stared openly at her as well, his eyes trailing up and down her for a long time. "And you look exactly the way I remember you. Only not as cute as before..."

He laughed again as she ran up and hit him none-too-gently on the arm. A playful glimmer in his eye, he let her hit him for a while before trying to move away.

"Ok, ok...! I'm wrong! You're cuter now!" Gippal exclaimed, chuckling because her hits tickled instead of hurt him.

And as hard as Rikku tried, her fake pout ended up breaking into a smile.

* * *

**The End.**

A/N: I'm going to really miss writing this story. (sob)

I just hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Before anyone asks though, this is the way the story is actually supposed to end. There is no more epilogue and no more chapters. (sorry again!) This is exactly the way I planned on having _Strawberry Kisses _end, and I leave it up to you readers to bridge the gaps from what happened here, _FINAL FANTASY X_, and _FINAL FANTASY X-2_.

Once again, a thousand Thank You's and more for all the support you've given me. You guys are awesome!


End file.
